Heart of Melting Blood New Chronicle
by Lone Wolf NEO
Summary: Featuring series such as Fatal Fury, the Last Blade, Guilty Gear and Touhou Project, this is an all-brand new story with new setting, new plot and new characters. As of 2013, open your eyes for the next heart!
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE  
****MEMORIES OF A LOST HOME**

**Location**: Korean Peninsula, near the border…  
**Date**: many, many years ago…

The village was in total devastation. No trace of survivors was to be found, and the scale of damage suggested that it was wiped out in one decisive attack. The air was foul, the voice of death echoing and the smell of decaying flesh so dire even the toughest scavengers would rather stay away. The only sign of life visible was two mysterious persons standing near a dry fountain, and neither of them was saying anything about the scene.

"Well, what does your mind have to say?" one of the persons asked and lowered the parasol she was holding.

"None of the villagers was spared, it seems," the other person spoke, even as his trench coat was flapping with the blowing wind. "Just by looking at the damage you can already tell."

The parasol lady batted an eyebrow. "Hmm? I bet my familiars will prove the otherwise," she said and gestured to two figures - a cat girl and a fox woman across the field. "Or is it perhaps you knew there would be survivors but you chose not to tell?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It's not my job to foretell."

"Miss Ran! I found something!" the cat girl cried out as she waved from the top of rubbles. The fox woman rushed to meet the cat girl who was excitedly pointing towards something, and she immediately alerted the parasol lady and the man in trench coat. "There it is! Look! Look!" All eyes were focused on what perhaps was the most horrendous sight any of them had ever witnessed. With the exception of the cat girl the fox woman covered her gaping mouth, the man in trench coat coughed to get rid of the stench clogged inside his throat while the parasol lady just made a long, static gaze.

"Who could have done this heartless act?" the fox woman asked and approached the limp body of a woman stabbed by many spears. "She's still alive! Miss Yukari! Mister Lone Wolf!"

The parasol lady ran ahead of the man in trench coat and rushed towards the woman. She knelt beside her, not taking care of the spears that were riddling her body. The only words spoken as the barely conscious woman realized her presence were stuck inside her throat and they would not come out even after she forced herself to speak.

"You're finally here…" the woman spoke, her voice barely audible. "I thought… we wouldn't meet again…"

"I'm sorry. The news reached my place too late," the parasol lady said. "What happened? How did this village end up like this?"

"He was too powerful…" the woman answered. "…our combined strength was not enough to defeat him…" She lifted a hand, which was quickly seized by the parasol lady, and it trembled when she gave it a gentle squeeze. "Miss Yukari… I couldn't even… become strong…"

"Don't say anything," the parasol lady told her. "Just don't say anything."

"I'm sorry…" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry…"

The man in trench coat approached the woman. "Tell me who did this." When she mentioned the word 'Whistler' the sudden change of emotion could be seen on his face. "How could he do this? Whistlers are supposed to protect, not destroy." He produced a combat knife out of his elongated sleeve and stared into the woman's eyes as he continued: "this has gone too far. I cannot allow this to happen again."

"Lone Wolf? Do you think your strength alone can solve this problem?" the parasol lady asked.

"I wish I could answer," he said. "But alas, what can this lone wolf do?" He was about to leave when he heard a baby crying not far. Helped by the cat girl he searched for the source of the voice and found a baby inside a cradle from beneath piles of house remains. "He's fine. Whose baby is this?"

The woman could only smile, albeit weakly, when she saw the baby. "My child… my beloved and only child…" She turned back to the parasol lady and gave her a final squeeze on her hand. "Miss Yukari… will you do me a favour?"

"Anything, dear," she replied and clenched the hand tightly. "Tell me what your favour is."

"…please take care of my baby…" she murmured. "And… please give him the name both of us had agreed with…"

The parasol lady nodded. "I will. I promise you I will, Widuri."

Her smile widened. "Thank you, Miss Yukari…" Her hand became limp, turned cold and began slipping off her grasp before it dropped onto the soil. The parasol lady fell silent, speechless at the death she had witnessed. Neither the cat girl nor the fox woman wanted to speak anything for fear of invoking her wrath, knowing that she was in deep anguish over the event.

Finally she stood up, gestured at the familiars to take care of the body, and approached the man in trench coat. "Here," he said and handed over the baby. "She had entrusted you with this child. It's your responsibility now."

"This valley will have to be sealed," she said as she was cradling the baby in her arms. "So that nobody will learn of its existence in the first place."

"When I thought I could come here; I heard it was a beautiful place to begin with," he sighed. "What's your plan next?"

"I'll take this baby back to Gensokyo and raise him until he's ready to fend for himself," she answered. "Then I'll tell him to return to his home world and start his own life. You can arrange for that to happen, can't you?"

"Consider it done," he told her. "So what name to give him?"

She stared at the baby that had fallen asleep in her arms. "I'll use the ancient name of this place in honour of his mother." She declared the name aloud. "…or in your native tongue, _the valley of eternal magnolia."_

"Fitting name, I see."

She nodded. "It will fit him, indeed."


	2. Bounty Hunting

**CHAPTER 01  
****BOUNTY HUNTING**

**Location**: 60 nautical miles off Swallow Atoll, Spratly Archipelago, South China Sea  
**Date**: present day

"Tonight, we party in hell!"

The pirates had every reason to celebrate the night.

Earlier the day they had achieved the greatest success in their life when they successfully raided the Empire of Britannia's merchant fleet, overtaking the fleet's flagship in the process and fleeing the Imperial Guards without a single casualty. Boasting over their unprecedented degree of luck, the pirate chief bragged on how the Empire was helpless in the face of pirates, even claiming that the international community would only go as far as verbally condemning the act.

"Boss!" one of the pirates called out while dragging a hostage to the crowd. "What are we going to do with these people?"

The chief stood up and looked at the captive, then to several others nearby. In the loudest, if not the creepiest, laugh ever to be heard, he ordered the pirates to rally the hostages. Despite some resistance the hostages were gathered and the minions waited for their leader's decision about them. Holstering an AK-47 in one hand and a machete in another he examined the terrified hostages, one person after another.

"Throw the guys off board!" he announced. "But the ladies stay."

In an excited roar of approval the pirates rounded up the man and brought them to the starboard side of the freighter, leaving the women behind. Terrified, the hostages, most of whom were Britons, could only pray for their lives to be spared by the otherwise ruthless raiders.

Little they, or the pirates, knew that they were not alone in the party.

It had been two days since the Imperial fleet was under attack. The rising empire of the European continent's response to the incident was strangely placid as they spoke nothing to comment the fate of the Britons captured by the pirates. Some speculated that the empire could not send in their primary task force, the Special Air Service, due to the unit's commitment in clandestine operations in Central Asia with Russian loyalists, leaving the empire with no other options to deal with the pirates.

Yet somehow, the empire had found a suitable substitute - _in the form of a bounty hunter_. A far cry from the empire's tradition to rely to full military service, the ruler nevertheless had faith in the particular person to carry out the mission, promising to award him for every hostage he rescued.

And tonight, that person would prove the empire that he could do just as fine as the legendary task force.

The pirates continued intimidating the male hostages with weapons and verbal abuses, constantly taunting them to take the first leap into the dark water. The chief kept himself at safe distance, not wanting to get his eyes off the real booties that lay before him. "Now ladies," he said and began flexing his biceps, "who shall go first?"

At that precise moment a couple of flash bangs detonated.

The explosion caught everyone off-guard, and in the confusion that later took place a man in tactical gear jumped out of his hideout, a suppressed P90 whipped out. "Weapons free." A stream of bullets sprayed the pirates, instantly knocking them out of action, and the man used the opportunity to toss another flash bang at incoming pirates. Blasphemous cries in local dialect filled the night sky as the pirates got blinded by the white phosphorus flash, and the man wasted no time decommissioning them in no time.

"AAAAAAAAAA!"

The man turned around. A pirate was charging at him with machete held high. In such a close proximity, even the P90 would not be enough to fend off the threat he snatched the pirate's shirt and tossed him ahead of him with a sacrificial throw. "Goodnight," he spoke in calm manner before his attention switched to the remaining pirates.

"He's just alone! Shoot him!" Streams of bullet were fired from various weapons the pirates were wielding, forcing the man to take cover behind a container.

"_Shadow Scope to Blackjack 5. Heard you need some help down there."_

"Blackjack 5 to Shadow Scope, negative. Hold your fire. There are hostages on the deck."

"_Roger, Blackjack 5. We'll keep our distance."_

He focused back on the pirates. They were outnumbering him, and chances are his weapon would run out of ammunition before even half of them were out of action. Plus, the hostages were his top priority and jeopardizing their life could compromise the whole mission.

He looked around. He spotted a bunch of wooden crates dangling in nets over the pirates. Sensing an opportunity he fired a couple of shots at the rope and watched as the dislodged crates crashed upon the unsuspecting pirates. "That should shut you up," he murmured and moved to where the hostages were gathered.

"_Shadow Scope to Blackjack 5. Be advised that suspect is armed and dangerous, and possibly won't hesitate to use hostages as human shield."_

"Copy."

He approached the hostages who became aware of his presence and told them to keep quiet. He, then, turned his attention to the pirate chief and his panicked minions. He tossed the last flash bang, ducked low to avoid the bright light, and rushed the blinded pirates, easily overpowering them with CQC technique.

That left him only with the chief who had been prepared to hold his ground.

"Who… who the hell are you?"

He rearmed the P90. "No use of resisting," he spoke. "You're alone. Drop your weapons."

The chief immediately pointed the AK-47 at him. "You work with the Imperial Guards!"

He batted an eyebrow. "Do I look like someone who gives a damn about the Guards?" He aimed the suppressed sub-machinegun at the pirate's head. "Don't do anything stupid. You know resistance is futile."

"As if I care!" The chief fired a short burst, but the trench coat man's reflex ensured every shot missed. Enraged he emptied an entire clip, and when that failed to even leave a scratch, discarded the assault rifle and wielded his machete. "Imperial or no Imperial, I'll kill you for ruining the party!"

He caught the chief's hand. "And?" In a swift move he disarmed the chief and delivered a stunning blow onto his solar plexus. His emerald eyes were as vibrant as the emerging full moon, as he watched the chief falling onto his knees and falling unconscious afterwards. "Party or not party, I'm just doing my job." He whipped out a hand-phone and dialled a number. After a lengthy conversation he hung up and took out what looked like a radio and established contact. "Blackjack 5 to Shadow Scope. Threat eliminated. Packages secured."

"Roger, Blackjack 5. We're on our way. Shadow Scope out."

By now the hostages had been freed from their gags and were helping each other. He watched at the hostages for a while before he threw his gaze skyward at the silver moon, now shining in all its grandeur. Knowing that the pirates had been subdued and the hostages were now able to look after themselves, added with the fact that CH-53 belonged to the Marines had arrived, he headed to the extraction zone and waited. The chopper approached the extraction zone, and he jumped into the cabin to be greeted by a Marine.

"Having a hard day's work?"

He nodded and sat next to the ramp door, watching as several Marines helped the hostages getting aboard. "I just want to go home after this…" he murmured and closed his eyes, falling asleep afterwards.

-x-x-x-x-x-

_(Seven hours later, Kyoto…)_

The vibrant capital city was brimming with energy as he walked out of the train. It was a good feeling to be back in the capital city, rebuilt upon the destruction of the Crusade, after weeks of travelling around collecting bounties and hunting random people. He had no clues of how many encounters with dissidents or angry mobs he had, or how much cash he had been bribed with, throughout the global tour. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to dive into the mattress and have a peaceful sleep afterwards.

He reached his destination. A shrine at the outskirt of Kyoto, facing a lake. The building was similar to design and atmosphere to any other shrines found, only a bit lonely. He sighed in relief; it's good to be home, he told himself. With that said he approached the shrine and looked around for any visitors.

"Oniichan!" Before he could do anything a pair of arms already seized his neck as a lithe body crashed onto him from behind. The force of impact almost made him stumble off his feet but he managed to keep his balance. "You've come back! Did you bring me any souvenir?" a petite shrine maiden asked even as she was tightening the playful embrace.

"Look, Yuu," he grumbled even as the girl tightened her embrace. "I just got back from my tour this morning and haven't got my cheque yet. What do you expect from someone who doesn't have steady income?"

"But you promised to buy me something," the girl mumbled and pressed her face into the trench coat, giggling at the pleasant odour. "Oniichan smells so nice… I missed you so much…"

"I've been gone for only two weeks, jeez." He turned around so he was facing the girl. "And who on earth would go after someone whose body smells worse than skunk pee?"

The girl smiled as she answered: "I would." She took off the trench coat, holding it between her arms as she did. "Anyway, I'm so happy you showed up. I was thinking to sleep over at the palace tonight if you didn't."

He could only smile and gave her a soft pat on the scalp. "You never want to change, even after you turned sixteen last week."

The girl pouted. "Oniichan wasn't there for my birthday…" she murmured. "I felt so lonely, even with Tomoyo-san and Kaguya-san around…"

He smiled. "If you insist to have birthday night with me, how about going out for dinner? I'll pay." The girl hurled at him, her arms encircling his waist in an overjoyed embrace before he could continue. "Now, Yuu, be a good girl and let me go take a bath. Okay?"

Forty-five minutes later, the man and his younger sister headed to the palace at the heart of Kyoto. The girl restlessly told him what she had been doing in his two weeks of absence and how she spent the weeks with the imperial court. He merely lent her his ears, letting her do the talking throughout the trip.

They arrived. The man's presence at the gate earned him cold gazes from the guards, but after the girl explained their intention the guards let them pass. After another lengthy trip they arrived at the dining hall, just in time when the family was having their meal.

"Wait a minute, Yuu," he said after noticing the girl's plan to break in, "aren't we supposed to wait until they let us in?"

"Oniichan doesn't know how close the princess and I are," the girl said and opened the sliding door in dramatic fashion. "Tomoyo-san! Kaguya-san! What's for dinner?" The overly dramatic entrance caused the diners to choke their food, leaving him to shake his head in disbelief.

"Well, if it isn't the cheerful maiden of Hanasaka Shrine," said Empress Amaterasu amidst the confusion created. "And her disdained brother Hikki is here, too."

"Yes, we are here!" excitedly the girl answered. "Come on, Oniichan! Let's feast!"

"Give me a break…" he grumbled.

"When I said dinner, I didn't mean dinner with the imperial court," he sighed. "Why would I agree to take her here in the first place?"

"Now, now, Hikki," Empress Amaterasu said and gestured the servants to pass him the rice wine. "It isn't wise to disgrace your beloved sister's request. After all, she has become a part of the imperial family for many years."

"I can see that." He thanked the servant and sipped the rice win a bit, shivering at the burning sensation down his throat. "Rah…! haven't had alcohol for a long time. Though I have to say I prefer vodka at times like this."

"Oniichan!" Disgruntled he turned his attention to Yuu. "Where's my present? You said you'll give me a present once you came back."

"What present? I didn't remember promising you on one," he grumbled.

"But Oniichan! You did!" Yuu moaned. "Kaguya-san! Oniichan is mean at me!"

"Jeez… you just have to whine over useless stuffs… Oh, well." His hand searched inside the trench coat and took out what looked like a beret. "Here," he said and passed the beret. "My Afghan friend gave me this during my tour at Kabul. I have no need for this, so you can have it."

"Hooray! I have birthday present!" she cheered and put it on. "It fits! Thank you, Oniichan! I love you so much!"

Half an hour had passed. There had been no significant event taking place apart from Yuu's endless pestering at her beloved Oniichan, and the said Oniichan's complain over his younger sister's over-enthusiasm. All he could do was to let the girl swoon over him, taking no regards of the royal family's comments over their relationship.

"Hikki, can I have a few words with you after dinner?" Empress Amaterasu asked.

"Empress?" He looked back and forth between Yuu, who was currently occupied with Tomoyo, and Empress Amaterasu. "Sure, though… let me finish off my meal first."

After dinner, and telling Tomoyo and Kaguya to take Yuu to the garden, Empress Amaterasu gestured at him to follow her to the royal court. "If it's about my sister, I apologize to the palace on her behalf," he uttered. "I realize her manners have brought the palace so many troubles, so…"

"Who said I wanted to talk about Yuu?" Empress Amaterasu spoke with a giggle.

"Excuse me?" He was confused at the answer. "But I thought we're going to talk about Yuu." Giggling at the question, Empress Amaterasu, then, gestured at her servant to give him a pamphlet and asked him to read the note. He did, and his eyes narrowed. "An automaton?"

The empress nodded. "The automaton was last seen in the northern land of Hokkaido and has caused much havoc to the Northern Division. The palace has been advised to send more troops, but we're currently experiencing what you can call… the lack of human resource. I was thinking of sending Sumeragi and her division, but then I have found a better substitute."

"With my due respect, Empress, I'm a bounty hunter, not a soldier," he spoke before the empress continued. "I'm sorry to say this, but bounty hunters take orders from nobody. We live by our own rules, and we do whatever that pleases us. If you still want to get the job done, find someone else."

Empress Amaterasu raised an eyebrow. "So you'd reject this offer? Wouldn't you consider the automation's hefty bounty?" she asked. "I heard you can buy five luxurious yachts with the money-"

"I'll accept!" his answer was swift and straight to the point. "Why didn't you tell me the amount earlier? We could've had the deal sealed earlier, you know."

"Well, what do you say about the deal?" Empress Amaterasu asked.

He sported a smirk. "Consider it done."


	3. Strange Occult

**CHAPTER 02  
****A STRANGE OCCULT**

Note: Usami Renko and Maribel Han are ZUN's original characters from the music CD _'Touhou Aozora Majutsu ~ Magical Astronomy'._

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was well past rush hour, and commuters were nowhere to be seen, leaving the building complex empty but not entirely deserted. It was late evening, and already the sun was setting in the horizon, enveloping everything in the glory of its reddish orange ray.

And he was outside the building complex, doing nothing more than sitting on the bench and enjoying the scenery he stretched and shook his arms, occasionally flexing to refresh his tired body. Sometimes he would stand up and perform simple exercises before sitting down again, and he would occasionally wave to the unsuspecting bystanders and commuters.

What was he doing in such place? He should have been in the Northern Frontier hunting the bounty right now, and he was aware of it. As a matter of fact, the prospect of getting his hand on the hefty reward was very enticing, almost as much as the temptation of a gorgeous lady in the so-called "Absolute Territory" dress, complete with thigh-high socks and garter belt. He knew; the shrine maiden who frequently addressed him as Oniichan had high regards for such dressing code she even went as far as designing shrine uniform in such style (with the help of Princess Tomoyo, on top of that). He could still remember how he wanted to admire those slender legs, how he wanted to explore the 'off-limit area' and touch the silky smooth skins, how he wanted to be within the vicinity of the delicious thighs-

**Ahem.**

He killed the thought. He wasn't here to fantasize over his little sister. He had an appointment with some friends, and they were not showing up yet. So while waiting for the girls to show up he killed some time and rewound his memory to the night before…

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Hanasaka Shrine

"You're leaving again, Oniichan," Yuu said with detected tone.

He nodded. "Won't be home for another two weeks; a month if situation changes. The good thing is that I have another two free days to spend." He dismantled the P90 and inspected its barrel before cleaning it. "The bad news is they may call me at any time."

She frowned. "When I thought I could spend more quality time with Oniichan…" She blushed, shyly fiddling with her fingers, her lips moving to form words. "But I understand. Oniichan does this for a living, so I cannot object."

He sighed. "Sorry."

She shook her head lightly. "It's alright. Say, Oniichan?"

"Hmm?"

She moved closer until her elbow touched his. The gesture didn't make him flinch, and he stayed still as Yuu rested her head upon his shoulder. "Can I… sleep with Oniichan tonight? Like we always do?"

He said nothing, and she held her breath for rejection. Then, with a long sigh he put down the components and hauled her in his arms, positioning her so she was sitting on his lap. "There. Happy now?" he asked.

She shyly smiled. "…yes. Very much so…" She nestled comfortably beneath the arms and clung onto him. "Thank you, Oniichan…"

-x-x-x-x-x-

He sighed. He should still have those two days to spend with the girl but his work prevented him from staying at a place for a fixed amount of time. With reports that the bounty had already begun to move, he realized time was not with him.

He looked at his wristband chronograph. "Where the hell are they? They said they'd be here in 30 minutes." He looked around, and noticed he was the only person left, everyone having had left the railway station in the quiet hours. "Well, if they don't show up-"

"Sorry for being late!" He turned to the source of the voice, and could only shake his head as he saw two girls running downstairs.

"You just wasted my precious half an hour, ladies" he jeered.

"Sorry, Mister Kokurabuji, so sorry," one of them apologized and bowed to him. "Renko was at fault for being late. She said we could reach this place in time but we got side-tracked by her endless commentaries."

"Hey!" the other girl moaned in protest. "That was because you asked me about that book!"

He shrugged and checked his pager, as if expecting a message of sort. "Since I still got time here, why don't we go have some meal?" he suggested. "I'll pay."

"So, what made you guys want to see me today?" he asked as the trio was having dishes of ice-cream and pancakes at the café. "You know I have very little time for social activity, let alone going out with girls."

"Oh, come on Mister Kokurabuji-"

"Hikki. Just Hikki," he reminded Renko.

"Right. Mister… Hikki, right?" Renko made a silly smile as she pronounced the name. "I mean, come on! Who else is willing to share our passion for occult and paranormal? I know nobody else is, and most of the people here will think of us as a weird couple."

"I can see that. More importantly." He placed the backpack and asked the girls to open it. "I've brought every piece of material I can gather to help you with the… _research_."

The pair examined the materials he had provided. "We highly appreciate it, Mister Hikki," Maribel said. "Thank you very much."

"If I'm allowed ask." He put down the ice-cream cup and stared at them. "What's up with your obsession for 'the world beyond the accepted boundary'?"

Renko snickered. "Even if we tell you, would you even believe us?"

"I would," he answered and sipped the milk tea. "But then again, what am I?"

"Oh, yes. That reminds me." Renko took out a newspaper and gave it to him. "I thought you'd be interested."

He took the newspaper and read the headline. "_Soviet and European Leaders Express Concern Over the Existence of Boundary Cult_? Now this is something I'm definitely curious over; can't be sure if this is good or not."

"Well, everyone back at the university has been talking about it a lot, and we can't help prying over it."

"Curiosity kills the cat." Renko giggled at the proverb.

The conversation lasted for a healthy thirty minutes. This time the two friends asked him about Yuu's welfare, and he chided that the girls should've visited the shrine and gave some donation. Renko had to decline, saying that their commitment to the studies of paranormal and supernatural phenomenon prevented them from going out for a field trip, and again he pointed that with their focus on such studies he found it ironic that they didn't give the Hanasaka Shrine a shot.

"Well, look at the time," Renko said and turned to Maribel, who in turn nodded. "Hate to kill the mood, but we have an investigation to do."

"Suit yourself then, Renko, Mary," he said.

The pair left the table and headed back to the railway station just across the road. "Bye-bye! It was fun spending the time with you," Renko shouted. "Hope we can have teatime again!"

"Thank you for the materials again, Mister Hikki," Maribel said. "We'll pay the deed whenever we can."

The girls were gone, and once again he was alone. He sat down for a few minutes more, finishing the tea before the pager buzzed. He read the message. He nodded. "Right. Time to get going." He called the waitress to pay the meal and left the café. Only he knew where he was headed to, and only he how long it would take to reach his destination, but it didn't matter.

He arrived at the destination. Once again, he was on his own, a strange figure in the equally strange area. The isolation lasted for a while, however, as he saw a black SUV approaching him in slow speed. He stayed still, as a female agent in black outfit walked out of the vehicle and approached him. "Silver Wind?"

He nodded. "Thought you wouldn't come."

"There's a slight change of plan, but we don't have time for that." The agent opened the door, allowing him to go in. The SUV left the area, speeding towards the road that linked the city to the airport with speed in excess of fifty-miles-per-hour, passing through the unsuspecting traffic. "We have received information regarding the rogue automaton, and at such we're ready to assist."

"Hey, I'm a bounty hunter, and I'm not about to let my prize escape," he shrugged. "But I thought the information's supposed to be classified."

"The Agency has been granted unrestricted access to 'hot zones'," the agent spoke. "Be glad you're free to do whatever you want once you get there."

"I can see that." He leaned into the comfort of the backseat, making himself as comfortable as he could. "What's the situation?"

"The automaton – or robot, if you like - has been eluding detection for two weeks," the agent answered as she was reviewing some paper-works. "It hasn't shown any sign of aggression, as far as the agency is concerned." The SUV made a U-turn at a junction and passed by an 18-wheeler. "But we are paying attention in case it decides to let itself loose."

"I can see that." He remembered the headline he read on the newspapers, and couldn't help asking: "hey, you read the news today?"

"Regarding the boundary cult, right? We have put the cult under close observation ever since their inception half a year ago," the agent answered.

"I didn't know that. Tell me anything about it."

"It hasn't been confirmed yet, but Intel suggests the cult has gathered followers from among Soviet and, possibly, AEU military officers."

"I don't see any connection between the cult and this mission but fire it away."

"According to our agents in Moscow, the cult is reportedly supplying the Spetsnaz with high-tech military equipment unlike anything the world has seen. If, and I emphasize IF, the report is to be believed, the cult is using the Soviet's political and military influence to expand their own."

"Alright, I can see that, but why telling me?"

"We currently have our hands full monitoring the war between the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod in Africa. Plus, we aren't able to determine the potential threat of this cult, or do we know their actual intention. I'm sure the Nihon Memorial Kingdom is aware of this issue as well."

He scratched his chin. "I'll have to consult the empress regarding this matter, but if the agency wants me to investigate I have to charge you people extra money. You know me."

"Don't worry. I'll have that covered."

The SUV reached its destination. As soon as it approached the parked C-130 the passengers wasted no time and disembarked from the vehicle. "Heads up: you will be assisted by the Ukrainian special task force throughout this mission. They have been deployed to the area earlier to help the agency monitoring the automaton."

"Huh? I thought the Ukrainians are still a part of the Soviet Union?" he asked.

"I hope you don't forget that Ukraine is now an independent republic," the agent reminded while correcting her slipping glasses. "Have you skipped your history lessons, Silver Wind?"

He glanced at the agent. "I don't find the answer very… encouraging," he answered even as he was handed over the parachuting gears.

"Well, you've been missing your lessons a lot," the agent sighed. "And don't think you can handle the mission by yourself just because you have the skills. You aren't a certain legendary demon hunter, mind you."

(At the office, Dante was having the usual snack of pizza with the company of Lady and Trish when he sneezed. "Well, well, looks like Dante's got some health problem," Trish teased.

"Hey, it must be the kid," Dante shrugged and rested his legs upon the table. "Who knows?"

Nero sneezed. "Are you cold, Nero?" Kyrie asked.

Nero shivered. "I think someone's badmouthing me.")

He had to laugh. "Oh, come on. Do I look like anyone of them?" he asked.

"Anyway, the special forces have reported that the area is unsafe for any landing attempt to be done," the agent continued. "That means you have to parachute over the area."

"Para-dropping, eh? Haven't done that in a while," he said as he was helped donning the gears by ground crew.

"Words of caution:" the agent continued as she signalled at the aircrew to start the engines. "Expect resistance to be fierce. Local people aren't very happy over foreign presence in their backyard."

"Duly noted."

"And don't worry about the payment. The Memorial Kingdom and the agency have come upon agreement to settle it accordingly," the agent assured.

He stopped climbing the ladder and looked at the agent. "I appreciate that. Thanks."


	4. The Hunt

**CHAPTER 03  
****THE HUNT**

**Location**: Northern Frontier  
**Altitude**: 15,000 feet over sea level  
**Time**: 21:30 hours

"Thirty seconds!"

The passengers held on, even as the C-130 was forced to zigzag across the flak-riddles sky. The air crews also had hard time to prevent the flight going off-course while dodging various anti-air weapons fired at them. At the very least, there weren't any enemy planes intercepting it or both crews and passengers would be shot down to their final destination.

"I thought we were going in for a smooth ride!"

"Blame the Intel for this! Hang on! We're almost there!"

The Hercules continued its hazardous flight, ascending and descending and banking to avoid shrapnel and exploding projectiles. The passing seconds had been mayhem in the clouds, for the lack of better term, and the hostility of the neighbourhood didn't help, either.

"DZ is getting too hot to approach. We have to drop the package early," the pilot informed. "Tell them to get ready."

The ramp door opened. The light turned green. The flight engineer signalled at the passengers to be prepared. Amidst the ever-violent flak the mission had to carry on and everybody was well aware of its importance.

And the signal was given.

"Go! Go! Go!"

The passengers jumped out, and the plane took a sharp detour to the left just before an air-burst round detonated. The HALO jump was poorly coordinated and most of the jumpers were scattered over the island and headed well away from their intended landing zone. One such unfortunate jumper went straight into hornet's nest, and all hell was going to break loose.

"_Echo Six, come in! Where are you?"_

He ducked low as to avoid RPG fired from Soviet soldiers. "Shadow Scope, this is Echo Six, I'm taking heavy fire from enemy soldiers!" He peeked out of the decommissioned AA battery, only to hide back as the opposing force opened fire. "I don't think I can get out of here in one piece."

"_Echo Six, hang on there. Assault Team Two is currently headed towards you. Activate your emergency transponder to confirm your location."_

He fired a grenade from the assault rifle-mounted launcher. "Make it quick, Shadow Scope." He tossed a stun grenade and made a dash towards the nearby BMP, emptying entire magazine to lay suppressive fire over the Soviets. The enemy recovered from their stunned condition and angrily opened fire at the operative, frustrated to see the bullets deflected by the IFV.

"_Echo Six, this is Assault Team Two. Heard you could need some heavy firepower out there. Call the shot."_

He peeked out of cover and saw a T-90 approaching the battle zone as to support the enemy soldiers. "Assault Team Two, this is Echo Six. Danger close: armoured vehicle sighted fifty metres ahead."

"_Roger. Keep your head down."_

It didn't take long before the area was bombarded. He watched from within the safety of the cover as the T-90 and the soldiers were barraged by anti-armour/personnel missiles fired from the otherwise moonless sky. He used the opportunity to lob several more grenades at the Soviets, killing or maiming them in single volleys, and snickered when the rest of them retreated.

"_Echo Six, this is Shadow Scope. Your team has been granted access to the Air Force's Predator combat fleet. You can use them to lay suppressive fire on enemy vehicles and defence structures."_

"Copy, Shadow Scope. Appreciated it."

The chaos ended. He walked out of cover and met up with a two-man team at the middle of the area. "Thought you guys wouldn't show up," he chided as he reloaded his empty M4A1 SOPMOD. "Especially you, Evan. What took you so damn long?"

"Local people did very little to help us," Evan/Assault Two-Three said. "But we'd handled them fine. You alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm good to go."

"_Echo Six, this is Shadow Scope. The agent is located half a click to the northeast of your current position and he's gathered some local resistance to aid with the operation."_

"Roger. We're on our way. Echo Six out." He signalled at Assault Team Two to follow his lead and they left the crate-laden AA site to the designated area, cautiously dodging Soviet soldiers who were sent to investigate the shootout while weaving through the dense temperate forest. The situation was further made complicated by the native people, who treated both them and the Soviets as common enemy, attacking them without any question and forcing them to use stealth.

"Say, I can't help asking why Chief chose to become a bounty hunter," Jacques/Assault Two-Two spoke during the team's ascend up a cliff. "He's got the skills, and he's got unlimited access to HQ. Hell, I heard rumours he was an apprentice to MacMillan."

"MacMillan? You mean _that_ MacMillan?" Evan questioned. "Nonsense. He's supposed to be retired from service. There's no way he'd return to the military just to pick someone to train."

"Well, it's just a rumour, so how was it supposed to be believable in the first place?" The team halted midway as to take cover from a Mi-17 passing overhead, and continued their climb after the helicopter left. "Right, Chief?"

"Cut the chatters, guys," Echo Six reminded. "Why would we have silly talks in time like this?"

"I have no idea," Evan shrugged. "Also: why bounty hunter?"

"It's all about the money, Evan," Echo Six answered. "It's all about the money."

The team reached the top of the cliff and was confronted with a guard post just ahead of them. "Looks like they aren't aware of our presence yet, but let's make it sure." Hikki signalled at his team-mates to flank the post from both directions while he armed his suppressed Mark 14 EBR at the guards. "Assault Two-One in position."

"Two-Three in position, waiting for your signal."

"This is Two-Two. Call the shot."

Hikki corrected his aim to make sure he wouldn't miss. "Just wait for a moment. Let them linger for a bit more." He kept watching at the guard, which seemed to be indulged with chatters with his fellows. "We'll do this together. On the count of three. One, Two… Three."

A well-aimed shot on the head, and the guard fell. At the same time Evan and Jacques opened fire, and the accompanying soldiers also dropped dead. "Good job, guys," he complimented. "Let's keep moving."

The team continued their trip through the perilous no-man's land. This time, they could take a deep breath in relief as neither the Soviets nor the natives were sighted, but they knew any time they could be denied of their security. Along the trip they came across intriguing insignias that didn't belong to the Soviet Red Army or any armed forces in the world - a gap with eerie-looking eyes drawn within its boundary, surrounded by intricate alchemy's circle.

"What the hell is that?" Evan asked as he pointed at one such insignia drawn on a signboard. "Jacques, know anything about this?"

"Not sure, but it could be related to the boundary cult," Jacques said. "Chief, what do you think?"

Hikki approached the signboard and examined the insignia. "Can't really tell if I've seen this symbol or not, but I'll keep it in check. Let's go."

After what seemed to be forever, they arrived at an abandoned shack overseeing another valley. "No one's here," Evan uttered as he looked around. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"This is the place," Hikki answered. "He should show up at anytime." He lifted his hand in a sudden, and at once his team-mates armed their weapons; an unidentified man with a suppressed MP7 walked from behind the shack and approached the team, tagged by the rebels who were carrying a variety of firearms. Jacques was intimidated by the group's presence and had to make way for the agent to approach Echo Six.

"Welcome to the Northern Frontier, Mister Hikki," the man spoke in distinctively Ukrainian-accented English, surprising Evan and Jacques when he called Echo Six by his real name. "What took you so long?"

"You know what happened, you sod," Echo Six jabbed. "So where's the target, Ivanov? We have a mission to accomplish."

"The Soviets have captured an ancient temple at the northern side of the valley," the man answered. "We have the orders to liberate the site and free the villagers they have used as slave labours."

"Thought you don't have any interests towards them," Evan commented. "But an ancient site?"

"This is all I can inform you," the man said. "Now follow me. The villagers don't have much time left."

Echo Six grabbed the man's shoulder just as he and the rebels were about to leave. "Not so fast, Ivanov. Extra job equals to extra payment. Remember that."

"Hmph. I guess we should talk about it after this," the man chided.

"Hell yeah we should," Jacques snorted.

The team, alongside the agent and the rebels, headed towards the said valley where they were shown to an ancient temple, where various excavation activities were held in and around the building. "What the hell are they doing?" Evan asked.

"Looks like they've found something on this island," Hikki answered and watched one such activity through his sniper scope. "Why didn't the agency tell me about this?"

"Mister Hikki, these villagers need to be rescued because they have vital information regarding the target you're seeking," Ivanov spoke. "But our strength isn't enough to take out the entire Soviet division."

"I can see that." Hikki, then, ordered Assault Two-Two and Assault Two-Three to flank the site from both sides while he took position behind a boulder overseeing the excavation. The Ukrainian agent, on the other hand, had ordered the rebels to take their position, and they were waiting for the go signal.

"_All units commence the attack."_

Instantly the site was showered in lead as Assault Team Two and the rebels were unleashing hell in bullets onto the Soviets. Cries of dismay and foul could be heard across the night sky. Echo Six inched forward and fired each shot from his EBR at the Soviets as they scrambled to position, hitting the deck as to dodge incoming RPG, and calling for stand-off support from the Predator fleet.

"Resistance is getting low. Keep up the fire," Ivanov informed.

"Don't make us lose our time here, Ivanov," Echo Six warned.

"Then help us! The more we can take out the Soviets, the sooner we can free the villagers," Ivanov answered.

Echo Six entered a tent and was confronted with a Soviet soldier. Using knowledge of closed quarters combat in his sleeves he rushed the startled personnel and quickly disarmed him. He focused back on the fire-fight outside and took out some soldiers who were occupied with fighting the rebels.

"Chief! Enemy helicopter five o'clock!"

He looked at the direction and saw a Mi-17 dropping troops into the area. "Goddamn it." He grabbed a nearby RPG and fired at the helicopter. "Ivanov! You didn't tell me there would be helicopters!" he scolded through intercom as the helicopter crashed.

"I didn't say there would be helicopters either, Mister Hikki," Ivanov replied.

Echo Six headed to another cover. "Whatever it is, we can't afford to waste more time with these guys!"

The 'bullet feast' ended after ten minutes. The ancient temple returned to its state of eerie silence, as it would have been expected, and the teams rounded up several surviving Soviets to be interrogated. The villagers, though still holding some grudge against the 'invaders', were thanking Assault Team Two for rescuing them and even helped him gathering the captured enemies.

"We have another site to raid half a click to this area," Ivanov answered after he was done questioning one Soviet soldier. "Mister Hikki, we need your men to provide us with more support fire-" Unknown to him Echo Six already gestured at Assault Two-Three to interrupt him and when he did a loud thud was heard as the Ukrainian agent was slammed onto a pillar

"Enough support fire! Where is the target?" Ivanov was heard screaming indistinctively in Ukrainian and it only encouraged Assault Two-Three to press him harder on the structure. "Where is it?"

"The lake! The lake at the northwest end of the valley!" Ivanov shouted.

"That wasn't so hard, was it? Now go sit in the corner and enjoy your handicraft," Assault Two-Three said and knocked the agent unconscious.

"Come on. The target may have left before we even get there," Echo Six ordered.

Leaving the bedazzled agent behind with the curious rebels and villagers the team headed towards the lake. Interference in their radio suggested that they were getting close, but with the route covered in twisted metals and smouldering remains they were also forced to watch their back for any ambush by the Soviets.

They arrived. Stretching beyond them was the lake, and they spent some time admiring the natural beauty of the environment. "Never expected to see something as magnificent as this, Chief," Evan whistled.

"Yeah, what's with the current collision of powers around the world," Jacques nodded. "I bet there are more places like this waiting to be discovered."

"_Shadow Scope to Echo Six, this is as far as you can bring your team,"_ Shadow Scope informed, its voice stuttering due to radio static. _"The area beyond the lake is a demilitarized zone, so your troops have to stay behind. The same might not be applicable to the Soviets, so be aware of that."_

"Duly noted." Echo Six turned his attention to his team-mates. "Looks like I'm on my own. Back to being a bounty hunter, I am."

"Be careful out there, Chief. Who knows when we still need your leadership," Evan said.

"You still owe me the actual answer," Jacques reminded. "Tell us after you get back."

"I know."

Knuckles were exchanged. Assault Team Two left Echo Six to return to the excavation site and he began his solo trip along the lakeside but his attention was interrupted with a yell from the behind. He turned around and saw a girl running towards him, seemingly in distress.

"Are you going to the other side of the lake?" the girl asked in local dialect.

"Yeah, that's my intention, why?" he replied in the same dialect.

"Do not go to the lake. The land beyond it is cursed; many have ventured into the land yet so few have come out of it alive," the girl warned.

"I highly appreciate the warning, young girl, but sorry; I've got a bounty to hunt," he told her.

"Please listen!" The girl tugged at his sleeves and made him stop. "Evil spirits lurk the land, and only those with strong willpower will be able to fend them off."

He could only smile at the girl's persistence and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, I've heard of that many times. Got to go." He waved her a salute and resumed his trip to the other side of the lake, paying no further attention to the girl's plea for him to come back. A sense of unnerving solitude crept through his vein as he entered the forest at the lake's other side: there were no voices of nocturnal creatures to be heard, nor were there creepy crawlies, only dead silence to be had.

He halted. His subconscious was telling him to point the EBR to the front. He did so and through the night vision-enhanced scope he could see a faint shadow of a caped figure leaning against a boulder. "It's the automaton." He switched to his suppressed handgun, coupled together with combat knife, and carefully approached the mysterious person-thing-whatever he wanted to call. The figure appeared to be unmoving, and he used the opportunity to walk in closer until he was within range.

Finally he stopped. The automaton didn't notice his presence, and it seemed to the bounty hunter it wasn't even aware of the situation yet. He waited and had a moment of suspense as the automaton rotated its head and stared at him.

"…"

The automaton spoke nothing. Neither was him. Both of them were exchanging stares for a few minutes, the former's eyes (if they could be called eyes) were fixated upon the gunman as if they were analysing him for potential threat.

"Don't move," he ordered. "I'm taking you out of this area and get paid for this finding."

"Harris technique, very useful in close quarters combat." Its voice appeared to be robotic as it identified the stance Hikki was using. The automaton walked away from the boulder, ignoring his demand to stop. After a few paces it paused and looked back at him. "Now tell me, how much money can you get from this finding, bounty hunter?"

"Enough to buy myself five luxurious yachts, why?"

The automaton shrugged the cape off its body, and only now Hikki could fully identify his target. Swordsman uniform in blue-white colour scheme, slightly dulled blonde hair, and combat-battered sword attached to its back. Nothing very particular about this automaton, he thought, although he was intrigued by the presence of a smaller, peach-coloured, automaton perching upon its shoulder, apparently sleeping.

"That bounty was a lie, and so was the cake," the automaton spoke. "They gave it to you so that they could monitor your action from faraway. The agency, the kingdom, the bureau. Everyone who has interest in you."

He lowered the handgun but not too low to compromise his safety. "Are you trying to imply something here?"

"Not really, but." The automaton put its sleeping partner in its pocket and withdrew its sword. "I was told before I found this hideout that a potential warrior would be searching for me, so."

Without any warning the automaton attacked. He had to perform evasive manoeuvre, his movement hampered by the hefty load of his equipment, but he managed to dodge the tackle. "Bloody hell! I didn't come here to pick a fight!" he barked.

"Too late, bounty hunter!" The automaton attacked again, forcing him to duck low. "Those before you have failed to even evade the tackle, and you are the first person to have done that!" The automaton tackled him and started to push him across the thicket, its rectangular eyes glowing in bright golden yellow colour. "Come fight with me!"

"I'm a bounty hunter, not a warrior!" He kicked the automaton out of the way and fired several retaliatory shots, dismayed as the automaton effortlessly blocked the bullets with the sword. "I don't have time for swordplay with you! Just give up!"

"Give up? A knight like me knows no surrender!" The automaton reared back and fired its fist that split into multiple guided missiles that hurled towards its opponent. The projectiles missed, and the automaton fired more rocket-propelled fists at him.

"Don't make me do this." He whipped out a rectangular piece of paper, chanted a verse and discarded the item that dissipated into thin air. In an instant three rotating squares appeared around the automaton, caught off-guard by the unexpected action, and shot random chains onto it. He pounced at the strangled automaton while the chains struck and aimed the handgun at its face.

"Quite a persistent bounty hunter, I see," the automaton spoke, its voice composure despite the situation it was in. "I must compliment you for the talent you have displayed."

"I've got a mouth to feed, that's why," he answered. "Now surrender yourself really nicely and let me turn you over to the authority."

The automaton laughed. "Money. A miserable little pile of fortunes. Humans are always driven by the desire to gather wealth, and such desire can be destructive."

"I don't care. I need money, and that's it."

The automaton laughed again. "I see what you mean, bounty hunter." The chains disintegrated, the automaton used the opportunity to jump over the bounty hunter and land not far behind. The sword slung over its back, it retrieved the cape and hurled it over its body before it turned into a direction. "As I had told you earlier, the bounty was a lie. Go find something else to make up for this… loss. In the meanwhile, I'll go deeper into this no-man's land and take a rest. This needless fight has taken its toll on my body and at such it needs to recover in certain amount of time."

"You aren't leaving!" Infuriated he chased after the automaton as it ventured into the forest, and when he finally caught up he took aim at the automaton's face. "And what about you? Claiming yourself to be a knight yet you choose to hide away. Are you retreating from the battlefield?"

The automaton shook its head. "I'm not retreating, bounty hunter." It walked past him and delivered a chop onto the nape of his neck, therefore stunning him. "I'm just advancing from another direction."

"Goddamn it…!"

He fell into the ground.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Chief? Hey, Chief! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes with great resistance, and saw both Evan and Jacques standing at his sides. "Thank goodness you wake up, Chief," Evan said and helped him getting off his back.

"What happened?" he asked, groaning once when he felt his head throbbing.

"The villagers found you lying at the lakeside," Jacques informed. "We came here as soon as they informed us about the discovery."

"So did you find the automaton?" Evan asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. He winced at the stinging sensation he felt. "It must have left me after knocking me out… ouch. My neck hurts."

"There goes our money," Evan remarked. "When I thought you could treat us after this operation."

"_Echo Six, this is Shadow Scope. An MH-53 is headed towards your way and will pick you out of the island but it will be some time before it shows up. Over."_

"Roger, Shadow Scope. Echo Six out." He stood up, was given back his EBR and headed back to the excavation site. "Need to find a way to make up for the loss. Somehow. Got any ideas?"

"I heard the royal family of Azadistan kingdom is looking for combat instructors to train their guardsmen," Evan said. "The payment's quite hefty, too, if you ask me. Jacques agreed, too."

"Sounds good to me."


	5. Puppeteer's Game part 1

**CHAPTER 04  
****PUPPETEER'S GAME PART 1**

**Location**: on-board Trans-Hindustani-Persian Express  
**Date**: unknown  
**Time**: 16:00 hours

"_Oniichan, you're so mean."_

He sighed. "Sorry to upset you, but I couldn't get paid in time," he spoke to the video-phone. "Blame my boss for it."

"_Jeez, when I thought I could ask you to buy me something…"_

"I can't promise you anything, but when I get back home I'll take you in for a grand treat," he said.

"_Hey! Is Mister Hikki there? Give me! Give me!"_

"What the heck?" There was a bit of confusion at the other side of the video conference, as someone else was taking over the phone. When it calmed down he could only chuckle. "It's you girls."

"_Hello, Mister Hikki!"_ excitedly Renko greeted as she waved into the video, with the reluctant Mary doing the same. _"Didn't expect to see us with your sister, did you? Guess what: we're staying over at the shrine!"_

"That was a surprise," he spoke. "But what are you doing there with my sister?"

"_Nothing out of ordinary!"_ Renko later giggled and sported a V sign_. "Actually, we're here to continue our research on paranormal activity. Thought we could stay over at the shrine for a night or two."_

"You'll enjoy the stay, I guarantee. Is my sister still there?"

"_Yuu? She has visitors coming over. Want me to call her?"_

He paused. She must be performing her duties to the people, like it had always been for many years. "…nah, just tell her I'll call back later. We're almost near the border now; can't afford to lose this phone to the immigration officers."

"_Oh, alright then! Make sure you give us a call after you reach the shore, okay?"_

"Will do."

The phone switched hand again, this time with Maribel taking it_. "Umm… we'll enjoy our stay with your sister, Mister Hikki. She's been nice to us ever since our arrival here," she said. "And I'm sorry on behalf of Renko. She's never been this excited before."_

"Don't sweat it. And please look after my sister if you can. She can be… quite clumsy without her brother around."

"_We will."_

The conversation ended the moment he switched off the phone. He leaned his head against the comfort of the headrest and threw his sight out of the window. Dusk was fast approaching in the Middle East, and he was sure the magical astronomy couple and her sister were already preparing to sleep by this hour. The rest of the passengers in the economy-class cabin already were already asleep, save for some who were ordering meals from vendors, and it was a far cry from the comfort of the first-class cabin he had been offered to before embarking on the express. It was his choice, not because he disdained the Trans-Hindustani-Persian Express' luxury (that, and the fact that he had to turn down his team-mates' suggestion when they first booked their tickets), but because he wanted to be close to the ordinary people as he could.

His attention to the sunset was distracted by a tuck on his right sleeve. He turned to the direction and saw a little girl being cradled by her sleeping mother trying to reach for him. Not wanting to upset the girl, knowing that she only wanted to play, his hand slipped underneath his trench coat and took out a plush doll. "Here," he said and gave the teddy to the girl. "But don't lose it. It's my sister's gift." The girl's eyes widened in excitement. Happily she hugged the doll, and with the minor distraction taken care of he could resume his sightseeing, closing his eyes as the sun finally sunk in the horizon.

The train came to a halt. It was a slow process, but it was enough to abruptly wake him up. He looked outside the window but couldn't see anything due to the darkness that was fast setting in, yet his intuition was telling him something had gone amiss.

And he was right.

A group of people donned in keffiyeh and various headgears roughly boarded the car and yelled at the passengers to surrender their belonging, threatening to shoot them with their guns if they refused to cooperate. Desert raiders; never thought to see them still actively operating in this era. Despite the commotion he chose to stay silent, even telling the scared girl to be quiet, or he'd attract unwanted attention from the raiders.

One of the raiders approached his seat. At first he was paying the seemingly oblivious passenger no attention as he roughly woke the mother and screamed at her. Only when the girl started crying did the raider become pissed and shouted at the girl instead. He remained on his seat, not because he didn't want to help the helpless mother and daughter but because such intervention would later lead to shootout in the cabin. Many lives would unnecessarily fall, and casualties were the last thing on his head.

The raider's patience reached its limit. Forcibly he took the plush doll from the girl's arm and stepped on it after throwing it onto the floor. At that moment he rose from his seat and grabbed the raider on the back of his neck. "Damn you. Resorting to cowardly act just because you don't get what you want?" With a quick jab on his neck and armpit the raider was knocked down unconscious, the loud thud more than enough to alert the rest of the raiders.

"Who the hell are you?" the chief raider shouted in Persian.

"Me?" He disarmed the fainted raider and took over his AK-47. "I'm just someone who's pissed for having his sleep disturbed." He pointed the assault rifle at the raiders, prompting them to aim at him. "Don't even think about it."

"He's just alone! Open fire!" the chief shouted.

"I said don't." So saying he pounced at the chief and delivered a flying kick that sent him crashing into his comrades many metres backward. He nimbly disarmed the chief's AK and knocked him out with a jab on his throat, all in less than five seconds. He turned to the rest of the raiders and signalled at them to bring their unconscious leader off the train. He watched from the door as the raiders climbed aboard their jeeps and bikes.

Then he shouted at them in accented Persian: "Didn't your chief tell you buffoons to leave women and children out of this?" The only replies he got from the raiders were curses and insults, and he grinned as the raiders abandoned their raid without even a success.

He returned into the cabin and picked the doll the raider had trampled on. "Useless." Picking it up and cleaning it off any dirt he returned it to the girl, whose mother was endlessly thanking him for saving them from the raider. "You okay?" The girl, instead, looked at the doll, as if she was worried about the doll more than her welfare. He chuckled and gave the girl a soft pat on her head. "Guess you're more worried of Shanghai than yourself."

"Shang…hai?" the girl said, trying to pronounce the name.

He nodded. "The name of this doll, of course." He gave the doll to the girl in spite of her concern. "Just keep it until we arrive at the station, okay?"

"Chief!" He turned to the source of the voice and saw Assault Team Two rushing towards him. "We just saw raiders leaving the train. You alright?" Evan asked.

He placed a finger on his lips and pointed to the girl. They took a look and found that the girl had fallen asleep, comfortably holding the doll in her arms. "Everything is under control," he said.

"Man, I thought you'd be toast on your own," Evan said. "I think you made a wise decision to take the passenger class seat."

"Have you checked the driver's cabin?"

"We have; the raiders who were overtaking it had been taken care of," Jacques answered. "Whatever happens after this, the raiders will definitely be back for vengeance."

"Yeah; we better reach the train station soon," Evan added. "I get the feeling our Middle Eastern tour will be one heck of the kind."

Assault Team Two returned to their cabin, allowing him some space to take a deep breath of relief. He returned to his seat and looked outside the window, this time to look deep into the cloudless sky of the night.

He felt his arm tucked again. He turned to see the girl returning the doll to him. "You don't want the doll?" She shook her head and placed the doll in his arms, positioning it so it would snug comfortably. "Well, that's… unexpected." The girl giggled and patted her hand on her mother's chest, as if telling him she already had a doll of her own. "Ah… no wonder. Well, then, enjoy your warm puppet. Goodnight."

He fell asleep, as so did the girl. Unknown to either of them, the Shanghai doll started moving in his arms and looked up at him. Huffing at him for not showing his concern as she was stomped on by the raider, she poked his face once before she jumped onto the backpack, struggling to pull out a blanket to cover his body. When she finished doing it he stirred but was otherwise unperturbed; she jumped back into the man's arms and fell asleep.

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Azadistan City  
**Time**: 18:00 hours

The train had reached its destination. The moment it made its stop at the railway station the trio immediately disembarked the train and made haste to the nearest hotel. The incident with the desert raiders had made them more cautious with the local, and already they had to take evasive manoeuvres as they stumbled across Azadistan police force, although they paid the trio no attention whatsoever.

"We barely made it in time," Jacques said after they checked in.

"Well, yeah, and I bet the police is going to look for us after this," Evan said as he paused to give the receptionist his card, earning him a glare from Jacques.

"What the hell was that for?" Jacques asked.

"Why, I'm seizing every opportunity I can get," he said and gave the female worker a salute. "I'll be seeing you this dinner, my beautiful lady~"

Ignoring his team-mates who started bickering with one another over the fuss he took a seat on the nearest couch and heaved in. They were correct about the incident, though; sooner or later the police would find out about their involvement, and getting caught in the hunt was the last thing he wanted to happen. Not the one to let any problem plague him he rested himself on the comfort of the sofa and closed his eyes.

"Ah!" Again his daydreaming was disturbed by the awfully familiar voice. He turned to the voice and was delighted to see the girl he had met on the train. Urging her mother to come with her the girl approached him and shook his arm. "Mister! Where is Shanghai?" she asked.

"Umm? You want to see Shanghai right now?"

The girl nodded. "I forgot that I wanted to give her something! Can I see her now?" At that instance the said doll popped her head out of his trench coat and stepped onto his arm, therefore startling the girl. "It's Shanghai! But why can it move?"

He glared at the doll. Shanghai giggled foxily and bowed to the girl before jumping onto her arms. "Well… yeah, she can move on her own." He breathed in; it was no different than the miniature humanoid the automaton knight had, although it did little to calm the girl's joy over the new discovery. "Err… careful with Shanghai. She's delicate."

"Chief! We're going to our room!" Evan shouted after he was done impressing the less-than-amused receptionist. "You sure you're okay with staying out for now?"

"Evan, just leave him. Can't you see he's enjoying his time with the girl?" Jacques said as he lifted his hefty baggage.

With Assault Team Two leaving to their room he could pay attention to the girl, even as she started playing with the puppet, overjoyed by the revelation of her newfound friend. "I'm sorry on behalf of Layla," the elderly mother said. "She's… never been this happy before in her life. Losing her father and brothers in the battlefield must have been too unbearable for her."

"Don't lose your faith, ma'am," he told the mother. "You and your daughter have survived, so that's more important. Keep on living for your sake, if not for your children and husband's."

"Thank you for the concern, sir," the woman replied. "Also, we owe you for saving us back on the train. I wouldn't want to know what happened had you not stopped the raiders."

He shrugged. "I just wanted to go sleep, and those guys just happened to cross the line. Good thing none of the passengers was hurt or lost their belongings."

"Hey, mister! Look!"

He turned to the girl and was more than amused; the girl had donned a ribbon on Shanghai's head, the size of which was almost questionable in it resembled more of a butterfly than a head accessory. "So… that's the thing you wanted to give to Shanghai?"

The girl nodded. "Doesn't it look nice on her?" Shanghai was seen flustered by the sudden makeover before she chuckled and leaned in as to give the girl a soft kiss on her cheek. The gesture sent the girl shrieking in shock, and Shanghai just chuckled before she left the girl to meet up with her master. "W-w-why did she kiss me?"

"I think that's because the doll has begun to like you, dear," the mother said as she caught up with her. "Come, Layla. We must not make him wait for his friend any longer."

"Okay, mom…" The girl bowed to him and the doll, the latter responded with a full bow of her own. "Take a very great care of the ribbon, Shanghai! And thanks again for letting me play with her, mister!"

The mother-daughter couple left the lobby and headed to their room upstairs. Both of them bade farewell to the family before he turned his attention to the doll. "Didn't I tell you not to move around?" he reprimanded Shanghai. "Do that again, and you'll end up attracting a lot of attention."

Shanghai pouted at the scold and slapped him on the face. It was light, but the gesture was more than enough to make him snap at the doll. "Don't. Do that." Shanghai slapped him again, and this time he lost his temper. "What the hell?" The doll looked away from him, covering her face with her palms as if she was faking dejection. "Damn. What did Aunt Yakumo and Yuu think when they gave you to me."

The doll turned around. This time there was an acknowledgment smile carved upon her face, and she placed a finger upon her lips as if she was anticipating a response from him. "Okay, now you're making one of that 'come on, make me surprised~' looks. Don't do that, or people will think I have a fetish for mini-girl." Shanghai puffed her cheeks at the mention 'mini-girl' and pointed straight at his face, wagging her finger in a 'no-no' gesture. "Oh, alright. I suppose I should refer to you as a 'doll', instead." Shanghai pouted, but made no attempt to chastise him as she just shook her head in amusement.

"Come on, Shanghai," he said and got off the coach as to approach the reception desk. "We're resting for tonight. Tomorrow we'll go see the princess and settle the deal." The doll diligently carried the backpack, easily lifting it off the floor in spite of size and weight, earning her several curious eyes although neither she nor he took notice. "Got vacancy for deluxe room?"

-x-x-x-x-x-

_(Night time in Azadistan City)_

It was almost midnight. The hotel was quiet, its tenants either going out to enjoy the city's entertainment hub or spending the night within the comfort of the mattress. Not so for him, as he chose to stay at the hotel to kill the remaining night alone. Shanghai had earlier slept, comfortably snuggling beneath the comfort of his trench coat while hugging the empty P90 magazine. He didn't regret the decision on ditching entertainment, despite Evan's insistence that he should join them for entertainment hunting at downtown. He told Assault Team Two he had to finish some unfinished business that had to be done away from the society, and it was so confidential it had to be done away from even Assault Team Two.

And so he waited, as the satellite phone was trying to link up, and when it did he wasted no time in starting the conversation. "It's me."

"_Hey, it's you. Thank God, I thought you wouldn't call us after the meeting." It was a female voice,_ and it belonged to the agent who he had met prior to the operation.

He sighed. "It was your fault in the first place, too. I mean…" He paused, and then he continued: "you didn't tell me that bounty was a fraud. I almost wasted my life on the island for nothing, you know."

"_Why are you still blaming me? Like I had told you during the meeting, the agency was too busy monitoring the war in Africa to even investigate the legitimacy of the bounty."_

"Yeah, right. And to think I could finally treat my sister and the palace after I collected the money…" He sighed again. "Yuu must still be angry at me right now."

"_If that's the case, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'll deposit any amount of money you want into your sister's account."_

"No need for that," he spoke. "Anyway, we've arrived at Azadistan. Local people are friendly towards us, save for some who tried to rob the train."

"_What happened?"_

"Nothing much. Just that I managed to kick the robbers in the ass for disturbing my sleep."

"_Heh, always the Hikki I know. You don't happen to need anything that you called me in this hour… do you? I was just getting ready for dinner with my family when you called."_

"Just checking out. Oh, send my regards to your family. Tell them that… enjoy the dinner."

"_That is so sweet of you. Thanks, and take care of yourself out there. Heard the Federation is on active hunt for rebels in Azadistan."_

"I will. Have fun."

The communication ended. He put the satellite phone aside and fell onto his back, groaning in pleasure the moment his back made contact with the soft mattress. With the clock ticking well past midnight, it was time to call it a day so he closed his eyes and let his body sink into the comfort of the bed.

Tomorrow, he would meet the ruler of the Azadistan Kingdom and sealed the deal with the princess, so he would need to have every piece of strength he could gather to get the business done.


	6. Puppeteer's Game part 2

**CHAPTER 05  
****PUPPETEER'S GAME PART 2**

"Today's mission is simple. We meet the princess and seal the deal with her. After that, we'll head back to hotel and get ready for whatever task she's going to throw at us. If she wants to negotiate with us, she'll have to talk to me first."

"Chief, what if something happens to the princess?"

"Then our priority will change at moment's notice, but do not use excessive force unless necessary. We don't want to compromise the princess' safety and we can't afford to risk involving the civilians. Remember that we're in a foreign nation."

"Chief, are you sure about this? I mean, this is _the_ Princess Marina Ismail. You know her relationship with the Celestial Beings, don't you?"

"I know. One wrong step and they will be chasing after us. But still, business is business."

"I just hope we won't be stuck in a puddle of bad luck today."

**Location**: Azadistan City.  
**Time**: 0815 hours.

The three-man squad waited outside the café as they had been informed by the royal family's messenger. They chose to dress up casually for ease of movement, but also to prevent the authorities from fixing their eyes upon them should they opted to wear full gears instead. Their weapons were also concealed for the same reason, hidden underneath their coat and positioned well within reach should the situation dictated.

He looked around the café. Amidst the crowd that started to gather up he saw the princess coming with her escorts. Signalling at his team-mates to stay in position he approached the royal entourage and greeted them. "Greetings. I presume that you are Mister Kokurabuji, yes?" the princess spoke.

He shook hand with the princess. "That would be me."

"As the leader of the kingdom of Azadistan, I, Princess Marina Ismail, greet you on the behalf of the royal family and my citizen." The long-haired woman gestured at her bodyguards to spread out across the area while she took seat with him. "My advisor sent you her regard. She was sorry for not able to attend this meeting."

"Shirin? I thought she'd be coming along," he said as he called the waiter. "Pity, because I heard she likes the topic of the Great Patriotic War."

She has several unsigned paper-works to take her off," Marina replied. "She apologized for not able to attend this meeting."

"Ah, paperwork. The bane of today's government," he spoke.

"I like the way you speak, Mister Hikki," Marina giggled.

"So, let me get straight to the point." He browsed the menu as to choose the breakfast of the day. "My men and I have been informed by the agency that the royal family is looking for qualified combat instructors to train their guardsmen, and we're wondering if the offer is still up."

"Of course. The job vacancy." Marina smiled as the waiter asked her about the menu, and she declined politely, insisting that she had taken her breakfast instead. "We have a chronic shortage of human resource, for the lack of better term. Most of the senior officers have been, or are being, drafted into the Federation. With that said, we have to get any form of help we can to build up this nation's defence capability."

"I know little of military administration, to be honest, but I think I can understand what you're trying to get over." He paused as to thank the waiter for the meal he had ordered. "Though I have to tell you this: we are mercenaries, while I myself am a bounty hunter. This kind of combination isn't going to please the upper levels, you know. Do you have enough trust on us?"

"If there is a reward that is worth the risk, I'm willing taking the risk," Marina continued. "Besides, mercenaries like you people tend to focus on the payment, and I know just the right way to take care of the issue."

"You better choose your words carefully, your highness," he shrugged. "Do we look like those people who only care for money? I have a mouth to take care of, for your dear information."

Marina laughed. "Oh, my. Looks like I'm talking to a family man here."

"It's my sister, thank you very much," he coughed.

The conversation continued, even as Assault Team Two was invited to join the table talk. Most of the time it ended with the two special operatives bemoaning their status as mercenaries, insisting that they were "highly trained professionals who are paid for the job" as Evan was describing to the princess.

"Well? What is your decision?" Marina said as the business was fast approaching its end. "Do you agree to work with me and help the royal family training their guardsmen?"

"Whoa there, princess," Jacques interjected, almost chocking the donut he was munching. "We take no order, and nobody's going to order us around. We prefer working in our own pace: easy, smooth and steady."

"I never said anything about taking order, wasn't I?" Marina chuckled.

"If there's anyone who can order us, that anyone's got to be our chief," Evan said. "Whatever he says, we follow. Chief?"

He scratched his chin. "You know, I'd really like to give the answer right away, but I still need to speak with my buddies first," he said.

"If that's the case, I believe we can discuss this further. What you say if I'm inviting you to our lunch at the palace?" Marina suggested.

"Lunch with the princess? Lovely," Evan smiled. "I'd love to have some delicious royal dish."

"Can't agree with you about that. Alright; we'll meet you at the palace," Hikki said.

"Very well. I'll have my escort ready to pick you at your staying place," Marina said.

The entourage left. The squad finished whatever meal they still had, paid up and returned to the hotel. "I have an uneasy feeling about this," he spoke to Assault Team Two as they walked upstairs.

"Chief, it's your call," Evan said. "We'll just follow. And we need the money, too."

"That's not what I meant," he replied. "Someone had been watching us, but I couldn't tell who or where it came from."

"Because we were with the princess, that's why," Jacques suggested. "Good thing we didn't have to use our guns back there. God, that was so intense I can hardly believe we'd gone through it."

They split up and headed to their room. He returned to his lodging to be greeted by an expectant Shanghai that had opened the door for him. "That's nice; really nice. Greeting me like I'm your _significant one_." Shanghai became flustered by the teasing and turned around, trying to hide her flushed face. "If you were a true, full-sized person, I'd have responded to this morning service in the most fervent way you'd ever think," he said as he picked her up and gave the doll a light kiss on her forehead, making Shanghai blush even greater. "But alas. My heart already belongs to someone."

Shanghai growls at the statement but later gasped, as if she had remembered something. Hopping off his palm she scurried towards the table and pointed him to an envelope. Curiosity began to rise, because he didn't remember receiving any envelope earlier this morning (or yesterday, as far as he could tell). Suspicion arose; what if the envelope was a letter bomb? What if the envelope contained biological agent? Taking no risk he took out the same item he had used in immobilizing the automaton knight and encased the envelope in rotating squares; methodically the squares ripped the envelope until only its content was left dangling in the air.

It was a regular letter.

A smile crept upon his face. Silly Hikki, thinking of nonsense stuff. Discarding the squares he read the content of the letter, and he couldn't be happier.

"_To my dearest Hikki._

_How are you doing? We at the other side of the border are very full of energy, youthful and pretty much basking in joy. This letter is written during our visit to the Hakugyokurou, and the cute gardener-swordswoman can't help asking me 'who are you writing this letter to? Nobody does this usually, unless if it's for someone special'. Of course it is special, because you are a part of the family, right?"_

He smiled. Indeed this letter, like every letter he had received, had always been special to him. He continued to read:

"_It's the end of summer over here, and everybody is busy preparing for the obligatory summer festival. I wish my nephew and his lovely sister are here to join us, but I understand you have to look after her. Life's tough at the outside world, isn't it? If you have any problem, don't be afraid of letting me know. I will help you anyway I can."_

"Oh, Aunt Yakumo. If only…"

"_I really like it if both of us could sit down and talk about our days- oh, what is it, Yuyuko? Right now? Alright, alright. Hikki, your beloved mother figure wants to write something here. Hang on."_

He chuckled. Reading this letter was almost like watching a video conference. Already he could imagine his relatives fighting for limited video space just to talk with him. He pressed on, and noticed the sudden change of mood in the handwriting.

"_Oh, god, I can't believe I'm actually writing you a letter~ how are you doing, honey? Have you eaten properly? Have you washed your clothes? I've been thinking of that every single day, and it worries me that you're living out there alone. If I were allowed to go to the outside world I'd have stayed with you and taken care of your welfare~ I know you'd be more than happy to let me live with you, right?"_

He couldn't stand the mood of the content and laughed all his heart. Immediately he pictured the scenery where the gardener swordswoman was yelling at the woman who would probably have shouted the content aloud while writing it at the same time.

"_Alright, Yuyuko, step aside. Let me finish this letter, okay? There; happy, Hikki? I bet you do. We're going to visit Makai after this; heard Shinki is having a reunion party with Alice tonight, wonder what's for dinner~_

_I hope you'll write to us sometimes; a postcard is fine, too, but pictures are the best. There's a proverb that a picture speaks a thousand words, isn't it? Just let us you are alright._

_Until then. Love, Aunt Yakumo."_

He frowned. He hadn't written anything to his relatives for a long time, and he hadn't thought of committing his time for it, not when he was busy looking after his sister. He took a deep breath and was about to close the letter when he saw an endnote:

"_P/S: I can turn your Shanghai into a real, full-sized woman if you like~"_

What a strange statement, he thought. He started packing up, remembering that he and his team had an appointment with Marina at the palace. "Shanghai, I'm going to need every piece of help I can from you," he said, prompting Shanghai to hop onto his shoulder.

_Later that afternoon…_

The team arrived at the palace. Having been picked up by the royal convoy, they were told that the princess would be personally greeting their arrival. Already looking forward for the lunch with the royal family they were eager to reach the palace and greet Marina as soon as possible, and with the prospect of hefty payment looming over the horizon

They hopped off from the armoured SUV and approached Marina. "Welcome to the palace," she greeted. "I was starting to think you'd take the scenery route while heading here."

"Got stuck in traffic congestion, you see, but whatever," Hikki shrugged.

"Well, then, gentlemen." Marina led them and the crowd entered the palace only to be distracted by the sound of blades chopping through the air. They looked at the source of the noise and saw a Little Bird helicopter approaching the complex.

"Whoa," Jacques whistled. "Did the TV station sniff us out or what?"

"Something isn't right." He observed the helicopter closer, as it turned around to allow the side door to open. He saw the passenger pushing out a multiple-barrelled weapon and aimed it down at the courtyard. "Shit! Enemy helicopter! Get down, get down!"

It was too late, because the gunman already opened fire, spewing hundreds of bullets onto the courtyard. Assault Team Two was fast enough hit the deck, taking Marina along, but the guards were slow and easily fell to the gunfire. "Evan, Jacques, take the princess into the palace!" he shouted.

"Copy that, Chief!" Assault Team Two hurriedly brought Marina and to safety while he himself ordered the bodyguards to take defensive position. Amidst the helicopter's indiscriminate firing on the crowd he spotted several trucks breaking through and deployed militiamen. "Hold the line! Don't let them approach the door!" he ordered the bodyguards while taking fire from his P90. "Who the hell are these guys?"

"It's the terrorist!" one bodyguard shouted. "We're under attack by the terrorist!"

"Sir, the helicopter's making a pass!" another bodyguard shouted.

He ducked low when an RPG hit the marble column. "Then shoot the bloody thing down!" The helicopter reappeared and opened fire on the defenders, while the militiamen were advancing towards the courtyard. "Shit. Someone hand me a rocket launcher!"

He looked around and saw an AWSM sniper rifle lying nearby, possibly belonged to a dead guard. "Bloody hell; just what I needed." He took the weapon and rushed towards safe spot, evading gunfire and grenade lobs from the militia. He took position and aimed the weapon at the helicopter's cockpit; the first shot missed and he had to curse under his breath. The helicopter turned around to face him, and he had to take it down fast.

He pulled the trigger. In an instant a Lapua round rocketed out of the barrel and whizzed through the air. He watched through the scope as the round hit its mark; flesh and blood littered inside the cockpit as the pilot took the shot, and the helicopter lost control as the round hit the gearbox behind the cockpit.

"Good night, you bastard."

The helicopter crashed. The militiamen got distracted, and the guards seized the opportunity to launch counterattack. With Assault Team Two arriving to assist the militiamen were easily pushed out of the complex. A few minutes later the police arrived to arrest the fleeing gunmen, further easing their job.

"Good job, guys. That was an outstanding performance," he said as he approached Assault Team Two.

"That was intense, but who were those guys, anyway?" Jacques asked. "Could've sworn they're the same raiders we had encountered on the train."

"I had a bad feeling when you mentioned that people, Jacques, but we can get used to their friendly gestures," Evan joked. "You okay, Chief?"

He locked the bolt of the sniper rifle. "Yeah, I'm all fine. Come on; let's not make the princess wait."

He was about to walk into the palace when a guard approached him. "Sir, we found this near the helicopter," the guard said and gave him a piece of tarot card. He was intrigued; the card contained the same symbols of gap and alchemy circle he had seen during the Northern Frontier deployment. Immediately his thought flew back towards the conversation with the agent regarding the boundary cult, and he was deeply bothered by disturbing thoughts about the elusive group. Not paying attention to his team-mates who were helping the bodyguards with the wounded he walked towards Marina who had come out to see the shooting alley.

"Princess Marina Ismail, you have another reason to summon us other than the job vacancy, isn't it?" he asked while showing her the tarot card.

As Marina examined its detail her face contorted and she had to take a few deep breaths. "My God… Mister Hikki, please come see me after lunch," she spoke and returned him the card. "This matter is so secret I have to not let Shirin or they know about it."

"They… as in…"

She nodded exasperatedly. "…especially him. I don't want him to be disturbed by this matter and not able to focus on his responsibility." She lifted her face as to let him stare into her eyes. "Please, Mister Hikki. You are the only person whom I have enough faith to put in."

He nodded. "I see what I can do."


	7. The Howling Wolf and the Silent Bullet

**CHAPTER 06  
****THE LEGENDARY HOWLING WOLF**

**Location**: Azadistan City  
**Time/date**: the same day, night time

He sighed. The night was supposed to be spent at a local bar (and getting smashed in the process) but it turned out that the bar he was attending had run out of liquors due to a recent gathering of Federation officers. The only beverage the bartender could offer him was iced tea, and bemoaning the lack of atmosphere was all he could do as he sat down and enjoyed the drink. It was a good thing Assault Team Two didn't join him, because he was certain they would cry outrage over the absence of alcohol if they were in this place.

His eyes caught on something. He glanced to a direction and saw a woman in veil entering the empty bar and sitting not far from him. He was intrigued; it was the mother of the cheerful child, but what she was doing in the place she wasn't supposed to be in?

"She must be trying to forget her problem," the bartender guessed. "Look at her face. It's just begging to be tendered by a nice guy. Right?"

"Not me, though." He took a quick sip of the iced tea. "Give her the same iced tea as this one, and tell her not to lament over her fortune."

"Whatever you say, dear sir," the bartender giggled and prepared the beverage to be given to the woman. When the woman asked who was treating her, the bartender pointed to him although he quickly hid his face behind a newspaper. "Aw, jeez. He's just too shy to admit it! But whatever! Consider this a treat from this good girl, okay?" The woman just nodded and began sipping the iced tea in silence. This frustrated the bartender and she left her to return to him. "She's too sad to even talk with me," she whined. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"Nah, she's just too sad to say anything," he said and continued drinking. "I think." It did not take long before the quietness was shattered by the loud noise of a smashed door. He turned around and saw a group of soldiers entering the bar. "Federations," he uttered after he identified the uniform the people were donning.

"Hey! You!" One of the Feds shouted at the bartender. "Give us anything strong to drink!"

"But sir, we've run out of alcohol tonight," the frightened female worker replied. "May I treat you with iced tea instead?"

The Fed snorted at the offer and smashed his fist onto the table. "No alcohol, no talk!" he yelled. "And you don't start messing with us, because we are from the Federations!"

"Y-yes, sir! I see if I can find anything nice for you to drink!" the bartender replied and went to the storage room. "I'll be right back!"

"You better hurry, girl, before we trash this bar to pieces!" another Fed shouted, in which his friends responded with rough laugh. "Oh, look. We're in luck," he said and approached the quiet woman. "Hello, miss. Care to spend some quality time with us here?" The woman said nothing, focusing on the iced tea instead of the people. "Hey. That's not nice, ignoring us soldiers. Come on, say a word to us."

The woman tried to leave but one of the Fed's fellows seized her hand. "Not so fast. You think you can leave us unnoticed?" So saying he roughly pulled the woman towards him and roamed his hand across her body. "Nice. I think all of us here will surely enjoy the night, _if you know what I mean_."

"You people certainly have the minerals to bother the saddened lady, haven't you?"

The Federations turned towards him. "What the fuck was that for?" one of them demanded.

"It means." Putting the half-empty glass down, he approached the Federation people, gave the two nearest soldiers a pat on their shoulders and jabbed their jugular. "Go home and get some sleep, okay?" The interruption was more than enough, and in anger the Feds demanded that he leave their affair undisturbed. "Can't do, mates. You harassed the nice lady, you see. Now get off."

"Fucking what?" Immediately a Fed swung a fist at him; it was parried, and in the confusion that happened Hikki gave him a painful jab on the eyes. "My eyes! My fucking eyes!"

He wasted no time knocking the blinded Fed unconscious and wagged his finger at the remaining people as they were about to pounce at him. "Don't even think about it," he warned.

"As if we care! Get him!" They rushed him at once, trying to punch and kick and smash chairs at him, yet his CQC expertise meant he was able to outmanoeuvre them in the tight space. One after another, the Federation soldiers kissed the floor, and were not given a chance to recover as he applied paralyzing jab on their pressure points.

"So much for being the Federation." Shrugging himself off the dust that was settling in, he approached the frightened woman and gave her a comforting pat on her trembling hand. "You're supposed to be with Layla, right? What are you doing here in the first place?"

"Watch out!"

He turned around, just when the Fed he had blinded earlier whipped out a handgun. "Fuck you, bastard. You just had to ruin our fun with the lady, hadn't you?" he snarled and cocked the weapon. "Now you die."

The man was knocked out cold even before he could pull the trigger, and Hikki watched in intrigue, as the newcomer was looking at the mess. "Hey, using gun on a helpless lady? That's even worse than getting smashed in a party." The person smirked as he made himself visible under the light. "Are you okay?"

He could not believe his ears and eyes. Was it him, or was the man who had saved him was none other than the legendary lone wolf himself? "Bloody hell, Terry, you could've killed me of sheer surprise," he sneered.

"I'll be damned; it's the kid himself!" The newcomer and Hikki gave each other a brotherly hug. "Never thought to see you in Azadistan myself! How are you doing?"

"Same with you, too," Hikki replied.

A Federation soldier got up, only to be knocked out cold by the bartender. Both he and Terry looked at the female worker, an anxious smile carved upon her face as she was holding a baseball bat. "The least I can do, right?" she nervously asked.

The bar became vibrant with lively conversation between the two men and the bartender. From the information he was gathering, Terry was in the middle of his global tour and had been away from South Town for many months. The lone wolf told him that the place he had called home was in slight disorder ever since the Heinlein was taking control of the streets, and with news that fighters had flocked the city like hungry locusts he had considered returning to South Town "just to see if my boy is doing fine."

"And that brings me here," Terry said as he was served another glass of iced tea. "Azadistan. A place of uncertainty, where conflicts of another kind are lurking around the corner. Makes me missing my South Town already, so to speak. Seriously, why the heck am I doing here, of all places?"

"I doubt people here will recognize the legendary Terry Bogard," Hikki joked.

"That's harsh. So what about you?" Terry asked. "It's been two months since we last met at Hong Kong, and you're still the same Hikki as I first knew. And I see that you've refined the fighting techniques I'd taught you."

"Who, me? You know me, a bounty hunter who knows no boundary in search for sustained income," he answered. "This bounty hunter always has to be ready for anything."

Terry laughed, and the young bounty hunter laughed as well. "I like that!" He lifted the glass and clanked it with his. "Cheers!"

The conversation continued; this time Hikki asked the woman of the reason she was attending the bar. Gripped in fear, the woman didn't answer the question, asking him to instead leave her alone. Even after Terry offered to help her the woman refused, insisting that she would be alright. Only after the bartender assured her that the men were friendly folks did she yield in. "I was visited by a mysterious man who gave me this," the woman spoke and put a card on the table. "He told me that… unless I do what he told me my daughter's life will be in danger. I…"

Hikki picked up the card. He frowned; it was the same card the palace guard had gave him after the shootout. Same source, same problem, he murmured as he recalled the private conversation he had with Marina Ismail regarding the issue. He was only concerned by the extent of the cult since, as far as the agency knew, they hadn't been known to cause major trouble to the world, except for the Brotherhood of Nod who labelled the cult as 'heretic'.

"Did the man say anything else?" he asked.

The woman shook her head. "He only said that it's for the cult's better good…" She broke into tears, and was crying bitterly even as the bartender was trying to comfort her. "I didn't do anything that would make anyone angry, but why it has to be Layla? She's the only one that I have left in this world!"

Hikki scratched his chin. He was in deep thought, and this caused Terry and the barkeeper to look at him in anticipation. "I don't usually work for free, but I'll give her an exception, so be grateful for that," he spoke, earning him a grateful smile from the woman. "You free tonight, Terry?"

"Whoa, there. You can't be serious about trashing that guy after this, can you?" Terry asked.

He snickered. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner all of us here can get to sleep."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Under the darkness of the night, Assault Team Two approached the warehouse, where according to the woman her daughter was being held by the cultist. The atmosphere was dull as they walked in, so much that Jacques started commenting on the tenants' living standard.

"Quiet." The team halted. "I see some movement." Hikki switched on the night-vision and turned himself to the suspected direction. "I see two individuals ahead. One of them is unarmed; possibly hostage." He slowly made his way towards the individuals. "Alright, squad. Watch those corners for foot mobiles. Stay frosty."

The team made their way towards the individuals, inching their way through the warehouse while keeping their backs on each other. Their approach abruptly ended when Hikki halted, and they could see why: a witchdoctor was making a circle around a girl, bound and gagged, and the realization that the girl was Layla only strengthened their resolve to accomplish the rescue mission.

"Who-who's there?" Having been spotted the team kept some distance from the witchdoctor.

"Return the child to us, or you'll be compromised," he ordered while giving Assault Team Two the signal to flank the person. "And don't even think about retaliating. You're surrounded."

"You're from the Federation!" the witchdoctor shouted. "You are doomed to failure! The cult of boundary has foreseen your demise! We shall rise and reign supreme over all!"

"_Chief, I've got this man on sight and I can deliver non-lethal blow on him,"_ Evan spoke.

"Negative, Evan, we can't afford to risk provoking him and harming the hostage," Hikki warned.

"_Bollocks. Roger that,"_ the disdained Evan replied.

"_Chief, I see a power switch behind the table,"_ Jacques said. _"Maybe we can shut off the electricity and distract him. Man, this dude surely has the obsession."_

"Whatever you're going to do, do it carefully," he told him. "I'll try making him busy."

Carefully he walked towards the witchdoctor, who had wielded a knife and aimed it at the girl's neck. "This is for the cult's greater good!" the witchdoctor replied. "You Federation know nothing of the significance behind the power of boundary!"

"I don't know what you're going to do with the girl, but put the knife down," Hikki replied. "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Try stopping me if you can!" the witchdoctor taunted. "Members of the cult don't fear anything, not even someone like you-"

The warehouse blacked out. In the confusion that was taking place, Hikki pounced at the panicked witchdoctor and knocked the knife off his hand. "Evan! Grab the girl and take her outside!" Wasting no time Evan rushed forward and seized the girl, even as the witchdoctor was crying foul at the rescuer and started chasing after Evan. "Oh, no you don't." He slammed the assault rifle's butt-stock on the witchdoctor's head, instantly silencing him. "Jacques, tie him up. Evan, come in. How's the girl doing?"

"_The girl is secured and I'm returning her to her mother,"_ Evan reported.

"Whoa, check this out," Jacques commented as he brought the witchdoctor towards the circle. "Someone must have been obsessed with the cult. What do you think, chief?"

"Hmm…" He examined the rest of the cards stacked upon the table. His mind flickered; it was as if something was knocking a portion of his memory, and it wanted to be let out. "I think I'll have to examine these cards. You done with the witchdoctor?"

Jacques knocked him with another blow on the temple. "All done."

"_Chief!"_ Evan's voice was crackling in the radio. _"I spotted an unknown individual at the back alley, and I'm giving it a hot pursuit! Mister Bogard is with me right now!"_

"Stay on target, but be careful! It could be an undercover agent," he replied.

"_Roger! Evan out!"_

After handing over the witchdoctor to local authority, the team chased after the unknown person down the alley, a pursuit that led them to a slum. "Watch those corners, guys," Hikki warned his squad. "There could be militias hiding out there."

"I don't like this feeling," Jacques murmured as he looked around the slum; with few lampposts to highlight dark corners, there were many reasons to be afraid. "Especially at night. Chief, are you afraid of the dark?"

"Stay frosty, Jacques," was his only response.

It seemed their presence was, at best, unwelcomed when militias started flocking the slum and firing down at them. _"Bollocks! We're surrounded!"_ Evan screamed. _"Mister Bogard, take cover!"_

"They're everywhere!" Jacques shouted, ducking low behind the wall when an RPG was fired at his direction. "How can they know we're here?"

"The escapee must have tipped them off," Hikki replied. "Whatever his reason is, he knows something about the cult." He took out a gyroscope-shaped object. "Good thing I brought this along. Tossing EMP charge." The object was tossed towards the middle of the slum. It detonated and emitted electromagnetic pulse that knocked most of the lights out, as well as burning whatever equipment the militias brought with them. "The militias are blinded! Squad, we're Oscar Mike!"

Assault Team Two and Terry rushed out to safety, leaving the chaos of the darkened slum behind, and resumed their pursuit on the escapee. This time they could clearly see the direction the escapee was headed to, and the route was easily flanked. "Evan, take Terry and continue chasing him!" he shouted. "We'll flank his escape route, wherever he's headed to."

"Don't underestimate the streets, kid," Terry reminded. "They could bite you in the ass if you're not careful."

"Thanks for the tips, Terry," he replied.

The team split: Evan and Terry headed forward while Hikki and Jacques took a flanking route to the left. Together they approached the escapee, ever cautious of the militia or the vertical dynamic of the area, which would allow the militias to ambush them from all directions.

"Bloody hell, he knows this place like it's in his blood," Evan groaned.

"Keep up the pace! He won't have anywhere to run eventually," Hikki replied.

The team reached a slope, and they almost had the escapee cornered when he took drastic measure and jumped off the slope. "He's running away!" Terry shouted.

"I have him." Hikki jumped off the slope and followed the escapee until he reached a river. "Hold it right there!" The escapee halted as he was about to enter a boat. "Whoever you are, don't try running away! Turn around and show yourself." The escapee turned around, his veil slipped off his shoulders, and this greatly surprised him. "A woman?"

The woman pounced at him. Distracted by the sudden manoeuvre Hikki opened a defensive stance but she already grabbed a flash bang and unplugged it. The flash bang detonated, disoriented the special operative, and the woman wasted no time delivering a paralyzing chop on his neck.

And the world around him blurred.

"Goddamn it…!"

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location: **The sealed land of fantasy  
**Date**: Many, many years ago...

"Mommy! Mommy!" Her attention at the lady of boundaries distracted, she turned herself to the voice and couldn't help smiling. "Look what I found!" the young child said and showed the woman a ghostly blob.

"My, what an interesting find," the woman chuckled. "But what are you going to do with the ghost?"

"Ghost?" The child looked at the blob that started squirming beneath his arms. "But Big Sis Youmu told me this isn't a ghost. It's a familiar! See?" The blob made a quiet squeal when the child squeezed it tight. "I wonder why it feels like marshmallow."

Just then a distressed cry came from behind the bushes, and out came Youmu, looking obviously unimpressed. "Alright, Hikki!" the girl snarled. "I'm going to punish you if you don't return Myon to me this instant!"

"Ah! It's Big Sis!" The child ran behind the woman, still holding the blob tightly. "I took it while she was sleeping, you see…" sheepishly he admitted.

"Oh, my. No wonder why she looks very cross," the lady of boundaries chuckled. "She doesn't like it when someone steals Myon from her. Hikki, mind if you give the blob another squeeze?"

"Umm… like this?" He hugged the blob tightly, the action of which caused the swordswoman-gardener to yelp. "So this familiar is attached to Big Sis… like a second body?"

"That's right, Hikki," the lady of boundaries answered. "Try giving it a bite."

He nibbled the blob, causing Youmu to moan in questionable manners. "It's so soft… I want one, too…"

"Now, now, Yukari, you aren't supposed to corrupt your own kin," the woman reminded, and gestured at the child to sit upon her lap in which he was all too happy to oblige. "That's not going to be healthy for his future."

"But that's what an aunt is for~!" the other woman growled. "It would be a dull affair if I don't teach him a thing or two."

"Of course you can teach him," the woman said. "Silly Yukari. It's both of us who have the responsibility to raise him, right?" The hugging and munching continued, and Youmu started to lose her composure. "Hikki, would you kindly let go off Myon? You're… distressing Big Sis Youmu, you see."

"Eh? But I want to play with it a bit more," the child protested.

"I have something better than Myon," the woman told him with a wink. "Do you want to see? I know you're going to like it." Growling at the knowledge of losing his toy, he obediently released Myon off his embrace, which quickly proceeded to return to Youmu.

"How disappointing~ Yukarin wants to see the soft human-ghost getting munched on~" the blonde woman said mischievously.

"You'll soon have the chance, Yukari," the pink-haired woman said, much to the silver-haired girl's protest. "Oh, come on Youmu. I bet you love it, the sensation of having your other half being lovingly tenderized. By a man~"

"But I object!" Youmu replied.

"Youmu's just too shy~ maybe she's too impatient to wait for Hikki to. _Grow. UP._" The remark did more than just embarrass the swordswoman, and disgustedly she left the two women as to return to the garden. "See? She's too soft~! Youmu can't handle simple teasing like this, sniff…"

"She's never had a man in her whole life, that's why," the blonde woman remarked. "But we'll see."

"Mommy, mommy."

She looked down at the child. "Yes, dear?"

"What kind of thing are you going to show me?" the child asked.

"You mean… something like this?" The woman opened her palm and started conjuring butterflies and ghosts from it. The child's eyes widened, amazed by the trick she was performing before him, and he remained speechless as she made the apparitions spin around her.

"That was way too cool!" the child exclaimed after the 'magic show' ended. "Can you teach me how to do it, Mommy? Can you? Can you?"

The woman smiled and pulled the child into her embrace. "You will, Hikki, you will," she murmured softly as she gently patted him on the head. "But you must promise me never to misuse it."

"Why should I?" the child asked and giggled as she started ruffling his hair. "Hey, stop messing with my hair~ eh, heh, heh~ it tickles…" He fell silent afterwards, enjoying the warmth of the embrace and snuggling up in the woman's arms. "It feels so good…"

He fell asleep. Both the women just sat motionless and watched at the child, before they chuckled to themselves. "Well, I suppose we could stay like this until he wakes up, yes?" the lady of boundary said.

"We have a lot of times to spend right now, so why not?" the pink-haired woman replied as she softly patted the child's head.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Chief, Chief. Wake up."

"Ouch…" Groaning he opened his eyes and found himself being stared at by Assault Team Two and Shanghai, the latter giving him a sympathetic, if not worried, look. "Felt like my head's being eaten by a ghost. What happened?"

"What the heck happened?" Jacques asked. "First you rushed down the slope and went after the dude alone. Then you got knocked out, and he escaped."

"Just like the last time," Evan nodded. "Just like the last time."

"Help me a bit." Assault Team Two lifted him off the ground and carried him back to the streets. "So… what's brought Shanghai here in the first place?" he asked as he glanced at the doll.

"I reckon she got worried of her master, so she came by," Evan answered. "Turned out she's worried of the little girl, too."

"Layla? How's she doing?"

"We returned her to her mother," Jacques told him. "Terry's looking after him as we speak."

"That's a relief." He groaned once at the aching pain in his neck. "Evan, do me a favour and run an analysis on the cult. I believe we may have stumbled across a major obstacle."

"Roger, I'll take care of it," Evan said.

"So what now, Chief? If the Feds find out about this, we're screwed," Jacques mentioned. "Plus we haven't started our job yet, so yeah."

"Don't worry about the Feds. I know how to take care of them," he assured. "Let's get back to the hotel, guards. We have an appointment with the princess tomorrow."


	8. Reflection

**CHAPTER 07  
****REFLECTION**

**Location**: South Africa  
**Time**: six years ago…

"Good job on clearing the course, but I've seen better."

He took a deep breath of relief. He had completed the obstacle course within the required time limit, and was instructed to meet the rest of the team while the officers were evaluating his performance. He was worried, for many reasons: as the evaluation team included representatives of the Russian FSB and Ascension Republic's Office of Secret Service, tension was high among the team, as they made wild guesses on who would be selected to join either service. All eyes were focused on him, however, since he was the youngest and the most promising combatant the private military contractor might offer.

He took a detour and sat in a quiet corner of the warehouse. He needed all the privacy he could get before the result of the evaluation was out. Fiddling with the MP5 he used during the obstacle course he watched from a relatively safe distance as his team-mates were completing the course. As he did, his mind wandered to the time he was ready to leave the comfort and security of Gensokyo and lived in the uncertainty of the outside world…

-x-x-x-x-

"I don't want him to leave~!"

Yukari just smiled at the ghost princess' insistence to keep him at Hakugyokurou. "Sorry to burst your bubbles, Yuyu, but this child has to remember his root of origin, and he must never forget where he comes from," she spoke. "This is a promise both of us had made."

"But… but…" Yuyuko was on the verge of crying. "Who's going to cook for him? Who will wash his laundries? Who will look after him if he falls sick at night?"

"Miss Yuyuko, stop worrying too much," Youmu pleaded. "It's not that he can't look after himself once he leaves. I mean, he's already grown up and all."

"Aw, Youmu, stop stating the obvious!" Yuyuko hurled herself at the unsuspecting boy and gave him a very tight, suffocating hug. "Why don't you have a say about this, Hikki? Pretty please?"

"Alright, Yuyu. Smothering time's over," Yukari said and yanked the pink-haired woman away from him. "He'll miss the train if we keep him for too long."

"Sniff… I'll miss my hugging pillow after this…" Yuyuko mumbled.

"As for you." Yukari turned her attention to Hikki. "I've prepared everything essential for your stay: spellcards, passports, visas, identifications, you name it. My colleague will take care of the rest upon your arrival; you can rely on him to do the work."

"Thanks, but can I ask a question?" the boy said. "Why… umm… I got enlisted to private military whatever instead of going to school?"

"Why, you already have the knowledge inside here," the lady of boundaries said and prodded his forehead with her paper fan. "You can't survive the outside world with your head alone. You need to master the skills needed if you want to fend for yourself."

The PA service announced the arrival of the express train bound for Scandinavia. The boy hoisted his hefty backpack and headed for the platform, but he turned around and returned to the trio. "Forgot to do this." He approached Yuyuko and gave her an assuring hug. "I'm already fifteen, remember? That means I can take care of myself now," he told his surrogate mother. "Don't worry too much about me."

The woman could only smile and returned the embrace. "Please take care of yourself, okay? Mommy's going to miss you after this…" she murmured.

"I will," he said.

The train arrived. He let go off the ghost princess and boarded the couch. He turned around and gave his family a farewell hand-wave. "I'll write to you guys once I arrive, I promise!" he shouted as the train started moving.

"Take care of yourself, Hikki!" Yuyuko shouted back.

The door closed, the PA announced the departure of the Trans-European Express, and the train slowly left the station. The three of them looked at one another, even as the train was slowly fading from view. "So what now?" Youmu asked.

"I was thinking of going to visit him after this," Yukari answered. "He's gotten his hands pretty full recently, thought I could give him a help or two."

"Let's go somewhere to eat, I'm hungry," Yuyuko said. "All the smothering and hugging made me hungry already. Sigh, if only the train left a few minutes later…"

"He'll be alright, Yuyuko," Yukari assured her. "He will be."

For a while the ghost princess threw her sight back at the railway, where the train had already disappeared. Then, a soft chuckle escaped her lips as she hid her knowing smile behind her butterfly fan. "Yeah, I'm sure he will."

-x-x-x-x-

He smiled. That was two years ago, and he could barely believe he'd survive the demanding twenty-four months until this moment. Now he was seventeen, and as a teenager he should be enjoying life as the rest of the youths should. Instead, he found himself working for private military contractor and performing various tasks regular armed forces deemed not worthy of taking. He was unsure of how long he would survive this treacherous lifestyle, but he had nothing to complain. He loved his job, he liked working together with his colleagues, he was fond of weaponry, and he at least had substantial source of income.

"Excuse me."

His route to memory lane got interrupted, and he turned himself to the source of the voice. A somewhat young woman with fair skin that shone softly under the artificial lighting of the warehouse, her golden brown hair tied up in side-tail, swept to one side and framed a youthful face with slightly sharp features, and striking lavender eyes behind a pair of frameless glasses. Her slender figure was wrapped in a tight black/white dress, the skirt of which was just short enough to show off a tantalizing flash of thigh before her black thigh-high socks began accentuating her long, perfectly shaped legs. Held between her slender arms was a set of documents, each with the word "CLASSIFIED" printed on its front page.

Who was this lovely, attractive woman?

"Are you, by any chance, Hikki Kokurabuji?" the woman inquired.

"That would be me, yes," he answered.

"Good! I thought I wouldn't be able to find you anywhere in this place." She offered him a handshake. "Reina Price, CIA." She smiled as her handshake was refused. "The agency has evaluated your past performance with the private military contractor, and is interested in hiring you as an agent."

"Reina _Price_? I'm guessing you're a relative to _the_ Captain Price," he said.

"He's my distant uncle, for your information," the woman answered, a tinge of pride hanging in her grin. "So, about the offer, I was thinking you could join me in lunch and discuss over this matter. What do you say?"

He didn't respond. Instead he left the bench and headed to the observation post where the result of the obstacle course was being displayed onscreen. "We have a situation:" the PMC director spoke as he arrived. "An Aeroflot plane en route to Melbourne has been hijacked and is forced to land in Sri Lanka. The hijackers have announced that unless their demand for a ten-million-dollar ransom is met, they'll blow the plane up and everyone else on board."

"Business as usual," Hikki uttered. "What's the problem?"

"The Sri Lankan government has refused any forms of intervention - _or help_ - and insists that they're capable of carrying out the rescue operation," the director answered. "With words that members of the Hanasaka Shrine are among the hostages, they can't afford to risk losing their image to the kingdom."

"Hanasaka Shrine?"

"They're the Memorial Palace's ceremonial benefactor," the director answered. "Their close relationship with Her Highness Empress Amaterasu means that they also serve as the kingdom's diplomat."

"Then why us?" he asked.

"The Aeroflot has long-standing relationship with NITE Global Security, and our exceptional performance has convinced them to sign the contract specifically for this situation," the director spoke. "They've agreed to pay us three-quarters of ransom demanded by the hijackers. Hefty, isn't it? You could buy an island with the money."

The CIA agent joined them and repeated the agency's offer, much to the operative's dismay. "You know her?" he asked.

"Yes, the CIA has contacted me and expressed their interest in this company's human resource," the director spoke. "This Agent Price is here to represent them in the evaluation."

He turned to Reina, who then smiled at him. "Huh. Do whatever you guys like," he said and headed to the weapon cache. "I'm not in the mood here, not when FSB and OSS are watching my back."

"Can't we sit down and discuss about this for a moment, Mister Hikki?" Reina said and shuffled through the files. "For someone like you to quickly climb up the rank in high-profile military contractor, you wouldn't think that your actions would go unnoticed, would you?" She took out one of the files and read its content. "March 21st: successfully protected the president of the Federal Republic of Ukraine from assassinated by pro-independence separatists. February 14th: rescued the son of Croatian minister of defence from international child slavery syndicate. December 25th: joined the United Navy SEAL in a mission to retake Mexican off-shore oil platform from UCC. My uncle even told me the SAS has evaluated your performance and wishes to use your skills-"

"How old are you?" he interrupted.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said: how old _are_ you, Agent Reina?" he asked.

"I'll be twenty this May," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"How young," he said and donned the Kevlar suit. "You should've gone to college and pursue high-level education instead of joining a bunch of people in black and delving in somebody else's private life. Wonder what your Uncle Price would say about this…" He left the bewildered agent and joined a group of special ops who had awaited him, dismissing his team-mates' friendly jibes about him and her.

"Did I… do it wrong?" Reina asked.

"Knowing him," the director said, "you just need to push him a bit further."

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Colombo International Airport  
**Date**: July 4th  
**Time**: 22:00 hours  
**Load-out**: P90 Suppressed with Red Dot Sight; Five-Seven Suppressed; spell cards

Forty-eight hours had passed since the hijack of Aeroflot Flight 219, and progress had been agonizingly slow on both sides. Many feared the delay would jeopardize the lives of the hostages, as well as affecting Sri Lanka's tarnished image, partly because of the on-going civil war with Tamil guerrillas, but also because the hijackers were Kurdish rebels, who were fighting for independence from Azadistan. Any attempt to retake the airliner with force was unfeasible as it would only provoke the hijackers into executing the hostages and destroying the airplane (already they executed the pilots as soon as the plane landed). Much to everyone's protest, the Sri Lankan government announced it would resort to full military force if the hijackers failed to release the hostages.

It seemed the only hope to see the incident solved would lie upon the shoulders of a band of unlikely soldiers.

"_Sniper Team Seven in position, ready to cover your approach."_

"Copy. Team, we're Oscar Mike. Stay frosty."

Stealthily the five-man team emerged from cover and approached the ill-fated airliner, using the darkness of the moonless night to their advantage. The assault team, along with Sniper Team Seven, had been parachuted into the area - an unorthodox method of insertion, but it maximizes the element of surprise, which they would need to ensure the success of the operation.

"_Overload to Charlie Team-Six. Seven enemy foot-mobiles are on-board the plane, and they have taken all the forty-two crews and passengers as hostages. Proceed with caution; they won't be hesitant to use the hostages as human shield."_

The assault team arrived at the nose gear. The squad leader signalled at one of the team-mates to scout the surrounding area for IEDs. The combatant approached the main undercarriage and took out what looked like a tarot card from the Kevlar suit's pouch and laid it on the tarmac. It only took a few seconds before the card glowed and revealed that the area was free from concealed traps. Then he took out another card and placed it on the fuselage; it burnt through the metal structure in complete silence, almost as if it was made of nothing, and the combatant signalled to his team that it was safe to climb aboard.

"This is why NITE Global Security values his unconventional skill more than anyone else," the squad leader told his team-mates. "Watch and learn."

Safe for the combatant (who was later given the order to distract the hijackers with his "unconventional skill") the rest of the team climbed into the cargo compartment. There they received disheartening news from Base Command: the hijackers had announced they would execute two hostages every fifteen minutes until the Loyalist government agreed to pay the ransom. Not a moment too soon they heard two gunshots over their head, followed by terrified scream of the passengers.

"_Overload to Charlie Team-Six, recommend that you neutralize the hijackers before they execute more passengers. Over."_

"_We see two foot mobiles near the front doors, and two more near the backdoors. Hang on; one of them is picking another hostage. It's a child, probably a girl."_

"Make it quick, Silver Wind. These hostages aren't going to crawl to safety by themselves," the squad leader reminded.

The combatant produced another card; this time he split it into four quarters and sent them flying to each of the four doors. Then they waited, until Sniper Team Seven informed that the foot-mobiles at the front had approached the door. At the very precise moment…

"Distraction: Fire in the Hole."

The card sections detonated, blowing the doors off the hinges and therefore shattering the dead silence of the night. Chaos and confusion took place as the assault team stormed the airliner, and the passenger compartment turned into a violent CQC arena as both sides exchanged gunfire and the hostages were screaming about in fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

Then, as quickly as it started, the shootout ended. All the screams and gunshots were now gone, to be quickly filled in by the dark night's quietness. The only sound audible was footsteps of the team walking down the alley as they checked the body count, followed by the squad leader reporting to Base Command: "Charlie Team-Six to Overload, all hostages are secured. Requesting immediate extraction, over."

"_That's a big negative, Charlie Team-Six. You have a huge concentration of Sri Lankan Army approaching your position."_

"Son of a bitch!" one of the squad members cursed. "We've got thirty passengers and many dead bodies lying next to us, and you're telling us that we're on our own?"

"_We're trying to negotiate with the government to call off the attack, but it will take some time before they can pull out the army. Overload out."_

"So what now?" one of the snipers asked as everyone was gathered.

"The army doesn't know that we've secured the plane," the squad leader spoke. "Though from the look of it, I doubt they'd even care."

"What are we going to do, sir? Base Command refuses to pick us up, and we're going to get surrounded."

"Got any suggestion, Silver Wind?"

Every eye in the team turned to the "unconventional skill" combatant. "I could provide an escape route, but it's going to take some time," he shrugged.

"Better than nothing, I guess," the squad leader nodded. "Everyone take defensive point. We're going to hold the line and prevent the army from approaching this plane. Any questions?"

"Let's do this."

The perimeter was set, using whatever resource they could get. As the team took position, the "unconventional skill" combatant was preparing the escape route using the last piece of card in disposal. He couldn't keep himself focused as he found himself staring into the face of a crying girl, mourning over the loss of her parents executed by the hijackers. (The fact that the air stewardess was trying her best to comfort the girl didn't help, either.)

The plane rocked wildly. "We've been hit!" The army had arrived sooner than they thought, and was giving the defenders a very hard time. Another violent shootout took place, as the seasoned professionals of NITE Global Security were pitted against highly determined but poorly trained government soldiers, all trying to claim the Aeroflot airliner as their own.

"Silver Wind, make it quick! We can't hold them off for much longer!"

He brushed the hesitation aside and focused his mind on the last piece of card. Under the watchful eyes of some curious hostages, he gathered his strength and converted the card into a gap. He went limp, as the procedure had used up all the energy that could have been used to help his team-mates, and he was hesitant; he was unsure about what would await them at the other side of the gap, but as casualties were mounting on the defenders' side…

"Silver Wind, hurry up!"

He grabbed the girl's hand. "Come with me!" The girl refused and wanted to stay with her dead parents. "Either you stay and get killed, or you leave and live for their sake!" Seeing that the girl was hopelessly stubborn he picked her in his arms and alerted the defenders about the escape route. "Hold on!" He jumped into the gap, and the word "surreal world" had been brought to a new height as he (and the girl in his arms) was falling down a space that seemed to defy reality.

He could not have been luckier. The escape route had led them to the beachhead, where two company-owned Pave Lows were standing by. Then, the hostages appeared out of the gap, falling onto the sandy ground one by one. Next, the team showed up, and to his shock, only the squad leader and the sniper had managed to escape.

"The rest of the team didn't make it," he lamented.

"Their sacrifice will not be in vain," the squad leader assured. "Come on. Let's get these hostages to the helicopters."

-x-x-x-x-

_Five days later, NITE Global Security headquarters…_

"I'm quitting."

The company director merely batted an eyebrow as he received the resignation letter from the combatant. "Surely you have thought of its implication deeply, Mister Kokurabuji," he spoke. "Especially the great possibility of losing your source of livelihood."

"I just… can't try forgetting the incident," he said. "Sure, the operation should've been a success if it wasn't for Base Command's refusal to evacuate us. Their negligence almost cost us our lives and the hostages."

"I'll look into the matter," the director assured. "Have you discussed with Captain Hector regarding this matter?"

"I have, and he's agreed to support my resignation," he said. "Sorry. I know my expertise is very invaluable to this company, but I have made up my mind."

The director let out an exasperated sigh and leaned into the chair. "It can't be helped, can it?" He signed the paper and kept it in the drawer. "Your resignation is accepted. Please return this company's properties to the treasury, and don't forget to sign yourself off. Oh, Mister Kokurabuji."

He turned back at the director as he was about to leave the office. "What is it?"

"Perhaps you should consider accepting Agent Price's offer," he suggested. "Who knows, the CIA may be willing to pay you more than I do."

His business with NITE Global Security done, he left the building and headed to the bustling streets of Johannesburg. It had been a tough decision to make, but the ordeal at Sri Lanka had left a deep scar that would affect him for the rest of his life. Although he and his team were not to blame for the death of the girl's parents he suddenly felt responsible for the misery she would have to go through.

As he kept walking he took a close observation on a group of young boys playing football at one of the streets. His heart was tinged; he wondered on how life would be different had he not joined rank with his PMC colleagues. Sometimes he envied the boys and girls for being able to live their life to the fullest and not have to worry about the world around them.

"Hey, mister!" He turned around, and caught the football one of the boys had kicked. "Can you throw the ball back at us?" He threw the ball back at them, much to the boys' delight. "Thanks, mister!" He chuckled; he realized that he had grown old well before his time, and it was better that way.

The trip continued, this time he took a taxi and went to the airport. The company had arranged for a flight to Nihon Memorial Kingdom so that he could visit the girl, including tickets and travel documentations as well as some pocket money to spend. Upon arrival (and after paying the taxi driver double the fee, much to his gratitude) he headed to the check-in counter and came across Agent Reina. "So persistent, huh?"

"I know what happened," she spoke and invited him to sit with her. "The CIA has been notified about your resignation, and I'm pleased to inform you that the agency is ready to welcome you with an open arm."

"That was quick," he mumbled.

"Information flies faster than the speed of light, if that's what you want to know," she said. "So! If I'm allowed to ask, why did you quit?"

"I… don't know." He sighed and leaned against the chair. "Somehow… seeing the girl losing her parents in front of her eyes in such hurtful way… it's like having your wound rubbed with salt and vinegar, while you're forced to not black out." He shook his head. "At least she was lucky to have parents."

"And you're not?"

He shook his head. "I don't remember who my parents are, or where I come from, but I do know." He paused as to take out a piece of amulet from his jacket pocket. "That I got this on my fifth birthday. Auntie Yakumo said it's a memento of my parents. Long story, if you ask."

The PA blared with announcement that the flight to Nihon Memorial Kingdom would be departing. He returned the amulet to its pocket and made last-minute check-in, surprised that Agent Reina was also joining them. "I'm also assigned to be your supervisor," the young woman told him. "This is going to be the beginning of our long relationship, isn't it?"

"Do whatever you wish, as long as you don't try to act kinky in front of me," he shrugged.

"Hey! That was bad, and you should feel bad for saying that," Agent Reina barked.

"What? Please, Agent Reina, with that kind of dress code," he said and pointed to the thigh-high socks, "has the agency turned into a bunch of perverts? How lewd."

"It's not lewd!"


	9. Faith Is For The Transient People

**CHAPTER 08  
****FAITH IS FOR THE TRANSIENT PEOPLE**

The situation was vividly tense.

News of the coup d'état that witnessed the fall of Brazil's democratic government spread across the White House like a wildfire. It hit the nerves of every politician and military leader in Washington, D.C. like a sledgehammer, and they had every reason to fear the collapse of South America's largest democracy would jeopardize the whole continent's stability.

And President Chipp Zanuff knew the impact of such event to world peace.

He had gone through several sleepless nights as a result of the incident, and to make matters worse the new Brazilian military regime threatened to invade Ascension and incorporate the island nation into Brazil's new administration unless both United States and Soviet Union withdrew their naval forces from the island. While it was obvious to many that the regime was dipping its feet into hot water by challenging the world's strongest navies, eleven of the twelve members that formed the Union of Neutral Countries (UNC) expressed their concern that Brazil might drag Ascension into war if they invaded the nation. As the leader of the United States of A Country, it was President Zanuff's responsibility to ensure that Brazil did not violate the Central Atlantic Demilitarized Zone Treaty both countries had signed prior to the coup. He was also aware of his country's relationship with the UNC, which had prospered in recent months, and did not want anything to put this bond at risk as a result of his forthcoming decisions.

Right now, though, his major concern was not the Brazilian junta or the safety of Ascension Island. This problem had, as a matter of fact, more effect to his administration in the White House than anything else. And it was happening almost on daily basis.

"Chipp-ojiichan!"

He turned to the source of the yell. Standing at the door was his niece, the ever-youthful and energetic Kenjii, daughter of Mr & Mrs Mito. "What on Earth do you want, Kenjii? I have problems to take care of right now," he retorted.

"But Ojiichan, you can't solve the world's problem if you just sit inside your office," Kenjii pointed with arms folded. "Come on! Play with me! I'm bored already. Papa and Mama wouldn't take me to the amusement park."

He shook his head. "Good grief, Kenjii. If that's the reason you came to this office, you could've just asked nicely." At the same time his advisor Benjamin was walking into the office, and he looked at the middle-aged man who was smiling at him. "You better not have any wrong idea about this, Ben."

"Children, Mister President, you know the drill," he spoke.

"But I'm no longer a kid! I'm now the ever youthful, seventeen-year-old good girl!" the swordswoman retorted.

Benjamin snickered at the claim. "And a good girl is supposed to act her age, right?" Kenjii fumed at the comment and went to kick him on the shin; her attack was deftly parried, and the girl became furious. "Should I tell your parents that you've misused your unrestricted access grant for your personal gain?"

"F-Fine, whatever you like," Kenji retorted.

Benjamin left the girl and approached President Zanuff. "You looked like hammered shit, Mister President," he said jokingly.

"You tell me," Chipp retorted. "How's our affair with the Kremlin?"

"It's the same old story, Mister President," the Gulf War veteran answered. "Left wing extremists declaring us as the enemy of the new world, the leaders trying to amend things with us. Oh, speaking of which, President Vorshevsky called a few minutes ago."

"What did he say?" Chipp asked.

"He wanted to discuss with you about peace treaty with the United States," Benjamin answered. "He understood that you're busy handling the South American crisis, so he said he'd wait until you're done."

Chipp pinched the bridge of his nose. "Urgh, the treaty… if it wasn't for General Shepherd's advice, I'd have flown straight to Moscow to talk to him," he grumbled. "Seriously, that man gave me a strange look when I told him about the peace talk. Good thing he's still in Afghanistan, otherwise…"

"I know, right?" Benjamin uttered. "But anyway, we have an even graver situation than the peace talk. Got this from our agent in Rio," he said and gave him a telegram. "He wanted me to personally hand this over to you."

Chipp read the telegram, and in an instant his face turned pale, worrying Kenjii as a result. "Jesus, when did it happen?" he asked.

"An hour ago, Mister President," Benjamin answered. "We have informed President Vorshevsky about this incident as soon as we received Intel from our agents in Rio, as well." He frowned. What he had feared the most had become a reality, and he remained silent as Benjamin and Kenjii were waiting for his words. "Mister President?"

"Summon all generals to emergency meeting – but don't tell Shepherd. Benjamin, have the press conference ready after the meeting. Kenjii, go play with Chii for a while, okay?" The two of them left them, save for Kenjii who stayed for a while to give him an assuring before she followed Benjamin. As they finally left, Chipp buried his face in his palm, thinking of the dire consequences that would follow the news.

He sighed. "Good God, they give me no choice." He reached for the blue telephone. He picked it up, and didn't have to wait for the line to connect. "This is President Zanuff," he spoke into the receiver. "Link me to Section 13."

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Azadistan City

Hikki's team had accomplished their task in giving the royal guards proper training in weapons and tactics. Now they were feasting the royal banquet held to honour their contribution to the kingdom's stability, and it was an opportunity Jacques and Evan did not want to waste as they indulged in Azadistan's food culture. Their leader was concerned about stuffing his stomach with the delicacies as his priority was to leave the country and headed back to Kyoto. He knew every second spent in foreign land would affect his quality time with Yuu, and now that he had done his job it was up to the royal guards to put what they had learned into practice.

His attention to the meal was disrupted when a palace officer sent him a message from Marina. "Now what does she want this time?" Not wanting to turn down the princess he headed to the balcony where Marina had done talking with Terry, much to his amusement. "Someone had taken the line first. That's not fair."

"If it isn't the kid himself," Terry said. "I was just going to say farewell to this lovely lady, that's all."

"Careful, Terry, you don't want to court a woman whose heart has already belonged to someone else," Hikki reminded, causing Marina to blush. "And no, Terry, that someone is NOT going to be me, thank you very much."

"Come on, Hikki! You wouldn't want to let this golden opportunity to slip under your nose, would you?" Terry asked and gave his back a hard slap. "Someone as kind-hearted as the royal princess surely has put herself someone in your mind, right?"

"If I let that to happen, my sister will certainly kill me," he answered. "I didn't come here to flirt with the princess, so what's the problem with that?"

Again Terry slapped his back. "Take it easy, kid! You can't possibly spend the rest of your life working! Life is short, and you've got to enjoy it while still can."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," he snorted.

"Anyway, I'm going to enjoy this party as much as I can before I head back to Gazth-Sonika," Terry said. "I swear to myself that sniper lady had meant something when she called me Lone Wolf instead of my name."

"I don't want to even think about the implication." The lone wolf of South Town just laughed and waved him farewell before he returned to the dining hall. He shook his head in wonder about his companion's antics and turned himself to Marina. "I hope you don't mind his… eccentricity when it comes to woman."

"Oh no, I don't mind. I find him a very good fellow to talk to," Marina answered. "And I hope you don't mind me summoning you here. How do you like the banquet?"

"I can't say I dislike the menu, but I definitely didn't see any salad," he shrugged. "I thought she'd be with you tonight. Where is she?"

"Looking for Shirin?" Marina giggled again. "She can't attend this banquet for some reasons, so she's sending you her regards."

"Regards accepted," he uttered. "So, back to business. What do you exactly want to seek from this conversation? Is it about the contract, my personal opinion about the political atmosphere in Azadistan, or - my apology for saying this - the cult of boundary you had asked me to investigate?"

Marina shook her head. "It's something more fundamental." She paused as to construct the words she needed to speak. "Mister Hikki, may I ask you a question about faith?"

"Huh, I thought you'd ask something more outrageous, but whatever," he said in slight surprise. "Go ahead."

Marina coughed a little. "Do you… believe in God?"

He scratched the back of his head. He never liked the question, more so since he never fancied about the ideas of intervention from heavenly realms having impact on human's life. "To be honest, I don't give it a damn about whether there is a god or not," he spoke. "But even if I don't believe in Him, how am I supposed to explain this?"

He conjured his free hand in the air, and a small gap emerged in front of his palm. Marina watched in amazement as he put his hand into the gap, and suddenly yelped when she felt her shoulder tapped from behind. She turned around and saw his hand sticking out of another gap that was hovering near her head.

"What… what just happened?" she asked.

He pulled his hand back and discarded the gaps. "A display of supernatural ability science and logic would not be able to explain," he answered. "Those gaps you saw? My surrogate mother taught me to use it for my convenience. Here; I'll show you." Another gap appeared in front of him and he stuck his hand into it before he pulled an apple out of it. (At the same time Evan was going to take the last apple on the table when it 'magically' disappeared. "Who stole the apple?" he asked in shock.)

"What kind of power exactly is it?" Marina asked as he gave her the apple.

"Those gaps represent boundaries, and anyone who can control boundaries can control basically everything in this universe," he told her. "My surrogate mother is the supreme user of this ability. If she wants, she can manipulate the boundary of creation and destruction, putting her in the realms of the gods."

"That's impossible!" Marina objected. "There's no way ordinary people can elevate themselves to be equal with God. It's… heretical!"

"Yeah, I get that comment a lot from your kind of people," he uttered. "But then again, if I have been granted this power, that means God has His reasons to let me use it, hasn't He?"

"I… I don't know," Marina answered. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't ask you this sensitive question."

"Hey, don't sweat it," he told her. "Where else I get to demonstrate my specialty to my client and not being labelled as an oddball?"

"You're funny, Mister Hikki," she giggled. "Then have you used that power of yours for your own benefit?"

"I have, but then again I'd be cheating," he said. "There's no way I'm going to turn everything to my favour and not think of those who have to struggle just to get a fistful of rice on daily basis."

"Of course; God does not want to see His people to walk the easy path and take everything for granted," she said. "Oh, can I ask you another question?"

"Sure you can."

"Thank you so much." Marina took a deep breath and spoke: "when you mentioned your surrogate mother, I was wondering about your real parents. Where are they now, and are they still alive?"

He shook his head. "I'd never know if they're alive or not, since I never got to see them from the day I was born," he answered. "I only know them because my surrogate mother said they were her close friends."

"I'm sorry for that," Marina said in apology.

"Hey, why would you be sorry? It's not that I-" His words got cut off when Shanghai unexpectedly popped out of his coat. He laughed when Marina got spooked by the puppet's sudden appearance. "Silly me. I haven't introduced you to my little companion." The remark caused Shanghai to punch him between his eyes. "Hey, that hurts! Admit it, Shanghai, you are little," he said, much to Shanghai's resent, "but that doesn't mean you don't have a big heart." The doll blinked many times in surprise. She blushed seconds later and pouted at him before she jumped onto Marina's palm. "Marina, this is my autonomous assistant Shanghai. Shanghai, I'd like you to meet Princess Marina Ismail."

Shanghai took a courtesy bow. The princess was reluctant to respond to the greeting but she settled on and put her hand on Shanghai's head and began patting the puppet. Shanghai's reaction was instantaneous as she grew cat's ears and tail. "She's so cute," Marina said and giggled as Shanghai purred contently to the touch of her hand.

"Yeah, I almost forgot that she'll grow ears and tail whenever she gets excited," he said.

After spending almost an hour with the princess, he took his leave and left the palace. He was done with the banquet, but his team-mates were not as they decided to eat everything they could until they were full. He knew they would be able to take care of themselves and returned to the hotel with that fact in mind.

It did not take long before he realized he was being followed; quietly and quickly he took a detour into an empty street and waited for the stalker to come close. "Ah, hah!" He grabbed the stalker by the collar and slammed the person against the dustbin. He was surprised to know it was the same hooded person he had chased after at the slum. "Let's see whose face underneath this hood is," he said and took off the head cover. As the hood came off, he turned from shocked to angry, then amused. "Bloody hell! What are you doing here, Miss Ran?"

"Uhh… Hikki, is this how you're supposed to treat your own kin?" Yukari's nine-tailed fox familiar asked as she hurriedly fixed her hat to cover her jutting ears.

"I swear to Mother Earth you look terribly horrible in this disguise," he chided. "This is one hell of a meeting between Yakumo family members, I suppose."

"Yeah, and we both can blame Miss Yukari for this," Ran said.

"Come with me; this isn't the good place to have a conversation," he uttered. "I'll treat you at the hotel cafe. That's the least I can do to apologize to you."

The two of them went to the hotel where he did not hesitate to treat Ran with tea and muffin. The fox familiar explained that the disguise was a part of Yukari's plan to maintain contact with him at the outside world, and idea she resented very much when it was first presented to her. "She could have just, I don't know, sent you letters or postcards or even emails, but she insisted that I meet you like an undercover agent," she lamented.

"That's Miss Yukari both of us know," he said. "Always be seventeen years old regardless of how… older than some human civilizations she is."

"I see what you mean, Hikki," Ran said with a chuckle. "How's life at your side?"

"My buddies and I got heftily paid for our job in Azadistan," he answered. "Enough for the three of us to live it easy for half a year, I suppose. How are things across the border, Miss Ran?"

"It's still the same Gensokyo you'd recognize, dear," Ran told him. "The Palanquin Ship got loose from Makai last month, and we got this Buddhist youkai lady who preached for equality between human and youkai. Reimu already got that covered, and things have since gone back to proper track."

"How's Mama Yuyu doing?" Ran chuckled, causing him to blush. "Come on! What's wrong with me asking about my family?" he retorted.

"I thought you wouldn't ask," she said. "Miss Yuyuko is very healthy, cheerful and energetic as always. Yes, she often inquires us about your wellbeing, but she's still the same 'Mama Yuyu' you'd miss dearly. She keeps asking us when you'll come home, though, and that gets me worried."

"Wish I could find the suitable time to come home," he said and put down the teacup. "But you know me, someone with a tight working schedule who has to feed a hungry mouth at home." He sighed. "At any rate, I'll never be able to spend my time with Yuu properly."

"I understand your plight," Ran said. "If that's the case, I think you should get married soon."

He choked on the muffin he was eating. "Miss Ran! Why are you asking me that question of all things?" he demanded.

"How old are you again? Twenty-two, isn't it? People at your age would've gotten into marriage and settle down with their spouse," Ran laughed.

"But that doesn't mean I should take the path everybody else has taken," he retorted. Ran kept laughing, and it brought him discomfort, more so since everyone at the cafe was now looking at him in intrigue. "Cut that out, it isn't even funny."

"Surely someone like you has found his ideal candidate, no?" Ran teased.

"As if someone like me will ever get a wife," he grumbled.

"You will find your wife, if you know where to find," Ran said. "Right, I think my job here is done. Miss Yukari asked me to check your welfare, and you're doing fine as I can see. There's nothing more I should do out here."

"Leaving already? I was thinking of treating you with fried tofu after this," he told her.

"Thank you for the thought, dear, but the longer I stay here the longer Miss Yukari will lament over my absence," Ran said jokingly. "You know it is I who has to take care of the house."

"Right, almost forgot about that. At least I should buy cakes for Mama Yuyu and Youmu before-" His phone rang, and he excused himself to answer the call. Ran watched in intrigue, then worry, as he was talking to someone in the phone.

"Something happened?" she asked as he hung up.

"Urgent matter," he answered solemnly. "I have to leave Azadistan tonight."

"Well, I guess both of us need to take our leave after this," Ran said.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he apologized.

"Oh, don't be," she chuckled. "You can take care of yourself, that I can assure you."

After buying souvenirs for both Yakumo and Saigyouji Families ("Miss Yuyuko will surely squeal in glee when she sees this cake," Ran commented as he was buying the most expensive cake on the shelf) Hikki walked Ran to the front door and waved her goodbye before she left the hotel. He wasted no time afterwards and made haste to his room; the call he had received was from Section 13, and he got an order to take a flight to Liberia in moment's notice, which would be arranged by an ally of the United States. He never questioned the order like he usually would, although this time he was wondering the reason Section 13 was sending him to Africa. He knew he had very little time to prepare a team, so he called his colleagues who were still at the palace.

"Like usual, huh? Well, we know what to do next."

"Don't worry about us, Chief. We can look after ourselves."

He had all the essential things prepared for his trip to Africa, and all he had to do was to wait for someone to invite him at the hotel. He looked at Shanghai, who in turn nodded and gave him a salute. "Yeah, let's do this," he said and hoisted his backpack.


	10. Soldier of Fortune

**CHAPTER 09  
****SOLDIER OF FORTUNE**

**Location**: aboard MC-130H Combat Talon II  
**Date**: April 2nd 213X  
**Time**: 2130 hours  
**Load-out**: M4A1 SOPMOD; dual P226; night-vision goggles; lethal and non-lethal detonation devices; spellcards.

It was unbearably quiet inside the cabin. As the only passenger, he had every reason to worry about the situation he was in, and he was counting on every piece of luck he could gather as the special operations aircraft cruised lazily thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic Ocean. He was wondering if the long, uneventful would bring him comfort, and his mind wandered several hours earlier, when he was waiting for the flight at an airfield somewhere in Liberia…

-x-x-x-x-

"A rescue operation, eh? I was going to ask you why I have to spend my night here in Africa."

Agent Reina sat down at the opposite side of the table. "The president of the United States of A Country has requested the agency to rescue the hostages by any mean," she spoke and gave him a set of documents. "And by _'any means' _we're talking about a rescue operation that requires the use of non-conventional specialties to secure its success. Non-conventional specialties, like _those_ that you possess."

"Just another day in the field," he spoke and read the classified documents. "What will I expect from this assignment?"

"You will encounter highly trained Brazilian troops who have taken over the colony island and use it as their forward base," Agent Reina answered. "As for resistance force, you will encounter none."

"Tell me about it," he uttered.

"Perhaps you should understand the reason behind this conflict," Agent Reina said. "Elbrus Mid-Atlantic Colonies: formerly they were floating naval bases built by the Soviet Union with the help of Spherian engineers-"

"Hold on," he interrupted. "Spherians? We aren't talking about those people who combine nanotechnology with biotechnology, are we? Why would they help the Soviets when they declared their neutral policy years ago?"

"I'm surprised you have read as much," the young woman spoke with an amused smile. "But yes, you are correct on the matter. The Soviet Union had indeed approached the Spherian Organization and asked them to help them with the mega project. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. Something just ticked in my head when you mentioned that name," he answered. "Please continue."

"Right. As I said earlier, the Soviets constructed the mid-oceanic colonies to facilitate their operations in southern Atlantic," Agent Reina continued. "It was only recently that President Vorshevsky had ordered that the colonies be demilitarized and given to Ascension government as a gesture of goodwill."

"What a waste of money," he uttered.

"The Kremlin thought that the money they had used to construct the colonies was better used for development in the Third Countries," Agent Reina continued. "And Ascension happened to be their most promising economy partner, so they decided to give up their biggest naval asset ever to the Ascensions. The problem lies within Colony 051."

"What about Colony 051?" he asked.

"The island was originally designed to support a floating airbase for supporting the Soviet Naval Aviation's operation in the Atlantic, but its construction was never completed," Agent Reina answered. "Because it was never put into operation, both Soviet and Ascension governments have agreed to declare Colony 051 as a DMZ, and there are plans to convert it to wildlife sanctuary, but the military regime in Brazil thought the otherwise."

"Why would they?"

"They claimed that the joint declaration was a ruse so that Colony 051 resumes its function as a covert naval base for the Soviet," Agent Reina answered. "The fact that the Soviets had built what can be considered as the world's largest floating airfield only helps to strengthen their claim."

"So the Brazilians want to take over the island for their own military use," he uttered. "What about the hostages? What do they have to do with this crisis?"

"They're wildlife researchers who have camped in the island for months, and they're due to return to Liberia next week," Agent Reina said. "It's important that they be rescued and taken to safety before Ascension Marine Corp launches their own operation. We can't afford to jeopardize the hostages' lives in case of armed clash between the two armed forces."

He put down the files. "This is confusing, very confusing," he spoke. "Why me? Can't they just sit down around the table and negotiate to release the hostages?"

"That's what I first thought, too, but the United Nations' demand to see the hostages released unharmed falls deaf on their ear," the young woman told him. "We don't want a war to break out in the Atlantic if an armed intervention is to be put into action. Not with the presence of trigger-happy Shepherd…"

"Hence, me," he said. "Nobody will expect a bounty hunter to knock on their door."

"Your order is clear: infiltrate the Brazilian force's perimeter in and around Colony 051, find the hostages and take them out to safety. Two Sea Knight helicopters will be dispatched from the main island to pick up the hostages," Agent Reina said. "We don't have much time to lose. If the hostages are executed the Ascension government will declare war against Brazil, and that will spell disaster to everyone."

He shook his head. "From South East Asia to the Northern Territories to the Middle East to Africa to the Atlantic," he muttered. "When will I ever get a break?"

Agent Reina just chuckled. "Maybe when you no longer have to worry about the world's problem," she suggested.

"Or you can help me by becoming a matchmaker," he uttered, causing Agent Reina to blush. "Nice. Now I made my own advisor blush. Give me a break."

-x-x-x-x-x-

He shook his head. There was no time for a walk down the memory lane, not when the light had turned red. He turned to the flight engineer and the rest of the aircrew, all of whom were giving him thumbs' up. He stood up, letting one crew inspect his HAHO gear for one last time, and approached the ramp door. It was very dark at the outside, and temperature was expected to plunge to bone-chilling level.

He took a deep breath.

He glanced at the flight engineer. He waited for the signal.

Three. Two. One.

And he was out of aircraft. Seconds into the free fall he deployed the parachute and was now gliding towards his landing zone miles away in the middle of nowhere, using the GPS to navigate through the darkness of the night. One miscalculation in his direction finding and he would dive into the frigid waters; he understood the risks in performing a night jump, and he was prepared for anything that might be thrown at him.

Finally he spotted his destination. For a so-called 'outpost in the blue frontier' Colony 051 was advertising itself to all eyes with the airfield and its floodlights. He even saw a huge neon floating arrow pointing to the direction of the runway. "When in doubt," he muttered and steered the parachute. "Follow the arrow."

He had followed the direction safely, but severely miscalculated his trajectory as he crash-landed on a couple of Brazilian soldiers on patrol duty. "Glad that you both softened my landing," he said to the knocked out soldiers. He had taken care of the minor problem but must now ventured deep into the unknown territory and located the hostages.

He followed a trail that ran across the grassland and encountered a group of soldiers approaching the empty airfield. He ran toward the soldiers and vaulted over them, tossing a couple of shock-wave devices at them before he landed behind them. "Goodnight." The devices detonated and knocked the soldiers out of action. With the initial threat taken care of he took one of the quad ATVs and made his way to the middle of the island.

"One can only imagine the amount of money they spent to build a structure this massive," he commented as he ventured deep into the wilderness. "Whoever thought of building these colonies must have gotten their idea from someone. Don't you think so, Shanghai?" The autonomous doll perched out of his trench coat and looked up at him. "Yeah, you may not want to think of its impact to the environment."

He arrived at a cliff that overlooked a building complex. "That must be the island's supposed headquarters," he uttered and began observing the area with night-vision binoculars. "They must have sent in a whole battalion just to defend this island." He took out his M4A1 SOPMOD and wore his protective goggles. "Ready, Shanghai?" The doll nodded and withdrew her Five-Seven. "Let's do this."

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: on-board Tuatha de Danaan, six nautical miles to the south of Colony 051.

The objective was clear. MITHRIL would carry out the rescue operation on behalf of the Ascension government, and they had acquired the much-needed agreement from the Ascension Marine Corp to hold their position until the hostages were extracted out of the island. Aboard the submarine that cruised luxuriously but cautiously in enemy waters, Major Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa and her commanding officers were overseeing the rescue operation with high optimism.

"What do you think if they find out about our presence in the waters?" Mardukas asked.

The female commander smiled. "If that is the case, we'll just do the thing we usually do to deny our involvement in this domestic affair," she answered. "But it's a pity that this pristine wildlife sanctuary has to be sacrificed in the name of regional defence. I actually like the idea of turning a floating colony into natural habitat."

"It's a sad reality, Major," Mardukas spoke. "There will always those who don't want to appreciate the magical world of Mother Nature. It's for such reason like it that people like us have the responsibility to maintain the balance of the world when others refuse."

"I hope you're right on that matter," Tessa uttered.

A few minutes later they received report that the rescue team was in position and awaiting further instruction from Command. "Eagle's Nest to Rescue Team One, maintain course to target area. You are free to engage all hostile activities, but do not - I repeat: do not - spend too much time on the enemy. Our main objective is to secure the hostages and leave the islands before the marines take over."

"_Rescue Team One to Eagle's Nest, copy that."_

Just then an impromptu transmission was received by Command Centre. Tessa told the controller to patch the transmission in, and she saw on the widescreen in a mixture of surprise and intrigue as a lone gunman on a quad ATV was wrecking havoc on the base. "Who sent the man in?" she asked.

"No idea, sir, but he doesn't look like he's from one of us," the controller reported back. "Should I alert Rescue Team One?"

"Make it quick," Tessa told the controller. "Whoever this person is, I get the feeling that he's working alongside us."

While the rescue team was being alerted about the unknown operative, Mardukas asked Tessa about the relevance of having the rescuers deployed in mechanized units. "I'm more concerned about the fact that you sent those boys in bear costumes," he spoke.

"Why not?" Tessa asked back with a giggle. "It sure enhances the element of surprise. After all, nobody will expect a squad of Bonta-kun to come knocking on their door."

-x-x-x-x-

The entire complex was in chaos. No one in the occupying force had expected a raid, and it was made worse by the fact that they were attacked by a group of fuzzy, angry and fully armed bears that seemed to come out of nowhere. Frantically they took defensive position and put all their efforts in defending their base.

"Fumoffu! Fumo-fumo-fumo-fumo-fumoffu!" the Bonta-kun squad leader shouted as it led its team. _"Squad move out! Alpha One, Alpha Two, cover the entrance! Everyone else on me!"_

The squad had broken through the defensive perimeter and was now headed to the living quarters where the hostages were believed to be held. The yellow Bonta-kun and its henchmen laid waste to the Brazilian soldiers with non-lethal ammunition, running from cover to cover to avoid counterattack.

"Fumoffu!" a Bonta-kun MP shouted. _"Enemy transporter incoming!"_

"Fumo-fumoffu!" the yellow Bonta-kun ordered. _"Switch to grenade launchers and use pepper spray grenades!"_

The squad lobbed several grenades onto the troop carrier, and the Brazilian soldiers had to fall back under heavy concentration of irritant agent. With the threat taken care of the Bonta-kun squad pressed on, racing against time before the hostages were executed. The whole commotion had alerted not only the occupying force on the island but also the Section 13 agent as he, too, was headed to the same location with the same goal in mind.

"Sending bear mascots to carry out military operation? Armageddon must be approaching!" he exclaimed as he leapt across a ravine. He had abandoned his ATV behind and was using the rooftop to approach the living quarters, and along the way he could see the Bonta-kun squad wrecking havoc everywhere they went. He had no idea those 'cute and fluffy bears' would be heading to the same direction as his, so he hastened his run. "Good thing I learnt Parkour before joining NITE Global Security," he uttered after vaulting over another ravine.

His trip was hampered by the presence of Brazilian troopers on the rooftop. "Mercenaries!" they shouted in their mother's tongue and opened fire. Deftly he leapt over the soldiers, whipped out his dual P226 pistols and quickly disposed of the soldiers with Gun Kata. "Too easy," he commented and resumed his run.

A shootout took place between the Bonta-kun and Brazilian soldiers holding the living quarters as he arrived, and he seized the opportunity to enter the building unnoticed by both parties. "Silver Wind to Shadow Scope, I've entered the building and am heading to the hostages right now," he spoke into the intercom.

"_This is Shadow Scope, roger. We'll inform Big Bird to stand by once all hostages are rescued."_

"Copy that, Shadow Scope."

Treading the walkway carefully he brought Shanghai out and instructed the doll to scout the area ahead. Shanghai went into a corner and peeked at the alley; coast is clear, the doll signalled. He took the route to the left and came across a group of civilians who had overpowered a single guard. "Are you here to rescue us?" one of the civilians, who he could only assume as the group leader, asked.

"That I am," he answered. "How many hostages are there?"

"Fifteen," the group leader informed. "The other eights are locked in at the command centre."

"Where is it?"

"Ninth level in the underground facility. We can reach the place with the cargo lift, but it's going to take some time," the group leader answered.

"Better than nothing, I guess." He rallied up the group of seven civilians and contacted Shadow Scope. "Silver Wind to Shadow Scope, I've secured seven of the hostages but there are still others held up at the command centre. I think I'm going to have to go underground to free them."

"_Roger that, we'll upload the colony island's blueprint to your navigator. Stand by."_

While waiting for the blueprint to be uploaded Shanghai alerted him of the presence of a hostile unit. He told the group to stand back while he took care of the imminent threat. He stayed behind the corner, all guns locked and loaded, and waited for a shadow to come closer…

"Gotcha!"

He pounced at the shadow and attempted to overpower the figure. To his shock, he was dealing with the yellow Bonta-kun, which was just as surprised as he was. In his negligence the pinned down Bonta-kun kicked him out of the way and charged at him with a baton whipped out. Deftly he parried the attack and counterattacked with a sweep to the feet. The Bonta-kun somersaulted off the floor and fired rubber bullets at him, all of which were easily evaded as he rolled across the floor. Upon recovery he quickly withdrew his dual P226s and aimed at the Bonta-kun, even as his fluffy opponent was doing the same with his Mossberg shotgun.

"…"

Neither of them was moving or saying a word, and for a while it was as if they were going to be locked in a Mexican standoff. "Oh, what the hell are we doing?" he groaned and put down his weapon. The Bonta-kun lowered his weapon as well and signalled at its team-mates that everything was under control. "You guys are interfering with my job here. Get out of the way, I've got hostages to rescue."

"Fumo-fumo-fumo-fumoffu," Bonta-kun said. _"Our order is to secure the hostages before the Marines land. Hand them over to us."_

"I won't let you steal my livelihood," he told Bonta-kun. "I got on this island first, and that means I've got the rights to claim my prize." He returned to the hostages who had been eavesdropping on the brief but intense CQC. "Silver Wind to Shadow Scope. Requesting immediate airlift, over."

"_Shadow Scope to Silver Wind, we're having a setback with the Soviet Navy about airspace restriction over Colony 051. It's going to be some times before we can send in the helicopters, over."_

"Can't you make it faster?" he asked.

"_We're still working to get the permission from Admiral Kuznetsova. Maintain your position; we'll keep you posted in the meantime. Shadow Scope out."_

The intercom switched off. "Stupid bureaucrats." He turned to Bonta-kun who was rallying the hostages to safety, and then to Shanghai. "Guess it's up to us now," he said. "Hey, fluffy bear!" he called out. "I'm gonna find the rest of the hostages on my own, so don't look for me, okay?" He left the building and mounted an abandoned jeep nearby. "Man the gun, Shanghai," he told the puppet as he got the engine running. "We're taking the highway."

-x-x-x-x-x-

_/ Midway to Level B9, Colony 051 /_

The dynamic duo had driven through resistance after resistance, and enemy convoy was hot on their tail as they were speeding down the maintenance tunnel. All guns were firing to all directions as Hikki drove the bullet-riddled jeep through barricades, and was yelling ecstatically as he managed to get past the blast door that was closing in. "That's what I call life!" he shouted at Shanghai who was operating the Ma Deuce.

An explosion almost knocked the jeep off the road. Shanghai alerted him about the presence of a Piranha IFV behind them. "I thought we've outrun them!" he shouted and hit the gas. "Hold on!"

The indoor car chase was severely one-sided. The lightly armoured jeep, designed for hit-and-run tactics, was ineffective in the face of the heavier and better equipped Piranha. Its mounted machineguns didn't have enough firepower to even leave a scratch on the IFV's composite armour. On top of that, ammunition had run out, and they only option left was to rely on speed and outrun the pursuer as fast as possible.

Something had to be done about the Piranha.

"Shanghai, take the wheel!" The puppet stared at him in horror. "We don't have time to debate about this! Do as what I say!" Shanghai relented and took the wheel, and he kept the pedal pressed before he jumped into the backseat. He whipped out a spell-card and placed it on the Ma Deuce; the difficulty Shanghai was facing in driving the vehicle made aiming difficult, and he had to keep the platform steady for a clear shot.

"This better work."

He pressed the trigger, and the Ma Deuce fired its last load of ammunition onto the Piranha. What came out of the heavy barrel weren't 50-calibre bullets but energy balls, the result of the spellcard increasing the Ma Deuce's firepower many times. The projectiles hit the Piranha, exploded and sent the IFV rolling on its body, just in time the jeep was passing underneath the last blast door that firmly closed shut behind it.

"Hell yeah, that's what I call firepower," he commented. "Good job on driving the jeep, Shanghai." The doll sported a thumb-up at him.

The jeep continued its trip into the darkness and as gas finally ran out the duo found themselves coming to a halt near what they could only assume as the tip of a reactor column. "I think we just discovered this island's major energy source," he uttered and approached the fence that separated them from a seemingly endless pit. "Look at that. It must be running deep into the very core of this island. One misstep and we could be falling down the rabbit hole forever."

He switched on the goggle-mounted display and examined the blueprint Shadow Scope he had earlier downloaded. "This area is linked to the command centre via a maintenance lift. If we could find the lift, we should be able to reach the hostages," he spoke and fiddled his fingers as to move the holographic map. "If only we could pinpoint the exact location of the hostages, we'll just have to gap ourselves-"

Shanghai tugged at his shirt and pointed at a direction. He turned around and saw a pack of dogs unleashed from their cage; he realized the extent of trouble he and Shanghai were facing as they were dealing with the island's cybernetic war dogs. "I didn't get paid to come here and get wasted by mechanical puppies," he uttered and conjured a gap over his head; he put his hand in it and pulled out an unassuming-looking briefcase. "Sorry, boys, but I've got a train to catch up," he said and transformed the briefcase into dual MGL grenade launchers. "Or would you like some explosions to come with dog snacks?"

-x-x-x-x-x-

Things appeared to be reverting to normal on the surface. The hostages had been flown to safety, and the remaining Brazilian troops were rallied up by the Marines as prisoners of war. With both representatives of Soviet Navy and Ascension government present to assess post-war damage, and the Bonta-kun squad returning to Tuatha de Danaan in secrecy, it was hoped that the incident wouldn't exaggerate the on-going crisis between the two Atlantic nations.

What they did not take into consideration, however, was that somewhere in the colony someone was fighting for his life.

It had come down to this decisive round. The cybernetic war dogs had been reduced to just its pack leader – also the largest - and sparks were flying from the oversized robotic canine's limbs, along with lubricants that had flooded the floor. The lone bounty hunter was still standing in spite of tell-tale signs of fatigue, a testament of his seemingly superhuman endurance, and he was calmly staring at the robot dog that had been growling menacingly at him.

"Good grief, this matter should have ended minutes ago," he uttered and discarded the transformable briefcase in favour of his dual handguns. "But I can give you credit for able to be on equal term with I." He loaded the handguns. "Whatever. A wise man once said: in the heat of battle, there can be only one. One of us shall stand," he spoke and took aim at his adversary. The war dog howled loudly and hugged the floor; it was ready to put an end to the duel, as so was the bounty hunter.

"And one shall fall."

The war dog pounced at him.

And that was when the ceiling above them collapsed.

A humanoid war machine jumped through the hole and landed near the mechanical beast, taking both it and its opponent off-guard. _"You over there,"_ a voice came from the war machine. _"Leave the Cerberus to me and leave this area now."_

"Where am I supposed to go? Up?" he shouted. The war god turned to the newcomer in rage and pounced at its new opponent. "Hey! Hey! What about the remaining hostages! I can't leave them to crawl to safety on their own!"

"_Shadow Scope to Silver Wind. You have the order to leave Colony 051 and rendezvous with Big Bird. Abandon mission immediately."_

"You've got to be kidding me! What about the hostages? Who's going to look for them?"

"_Your presence in Ascension has been compromised, and the agency doesn't want to take any chances by allowing you to remain on the island. Execute Code 18 and leave the island."_

"Son of a gun," he cursed under his breath. "Silver Wind to Shadow Scope, roger that. Initiating Code 18." He looked at the wrestling match between the two mechanical warriors, and then at Shanghai. "I'm not leaving until I find them. Ready, Shanghai?" The doll nodded; he nodded in return and conjured a gap on the floor. "Aunt Yakumo never taught me on how to go around with gaps, but this better work." He jumped into the gap, and as luck would have it, he arrived at the command centre where the remaining hostages were held. Fatigue was taking over, so he wasted no time telling the hostages to jump into the gap he had prepared for them. One after another, the grateful and relieved hostages took the escape route, thanking him along the way; once everyone had left he fell limp and dropped onto his knees. The summoning of the gaps had cost him his strength, but he was satisfied to have saved lives from the floating prison.

"Good grief," he muttered as he finally fell flat onto the floor. "I should've taken them along…"

-x-x-x-x-

_/ Forty-eight hours later. 300 nautical miles off Angola /_

He woke up. The strong smell of anaesthetic filled the room he was in, and it was so irritating he lost his mood to sleep anymore. He rose from the bed and looked around, realizing he was hospitalized. He had no idea what had happened moments after he passed out, and as he paid further attention to the room's details he noticed with an alarm that he was in a military hospital. "Well, doesn't this suck?" he cussed. "Flying from tiger's mouth only to fall into crocodile's throat."

"It isn't, once you figure out the true nature of this crocodile's throat," a female voice spoke. He turned to the voice and met a silver-haired woman in full military uniform, accompanied by the likes of two soldiers; one of them was bearing a scar on his left cheek. "The Ascension government has their deepest thanks to your agency for liberating their territory from the Brazilian forces. It wouldn't have been possible without your role in causing havoc to the occupying force."

"That means the crisis has been averted?" he asked.

"For now, yes. Fortunately for us, the colony island will be declared as a neutral territory, and both countries will no longer have the rights to exact territorial claim on the island," the woman answered. "It's better that way, because I'm informed that you have stumbled across the island's _dirty secret_, and-"

"Hold on for a second," he interrupted. "First thing first: where the hell am I? Secondly, who the hell are you guys?"

"Commanding officer of Tuatha de Danaan, Captain Teletha Testarossa; you can call me Tessa," the woman spoke. "We're en route to east Asia to carry out armed intervention at the Korean peninsula. For now, we're treating you as our guest of honour, so don't worry about the nature of our operations." He was staring at her strangely due to the introduction, and she let out a rather nervous laugh. "Is there something wrong, Mister Hikki?"

"I haven't told you my name yet, and you already know? Is this some kind of joke?" he asked. "Putting that aside, how did I get on-board in the first place?"

Shanghai popped out from behind Tessa. "Our ship picked up the distress signal from your… self-aware assistant, and I immediately mobilized my units to rescue you before the Soviets found you," she spoke. "She's quite cute, but I can't figure out what she's trying to say."

"Well, her kind is very rare to find nowadays," he spoke. "The name's Shanghai, by the way."

"Hello, Shanghai. Pleased to meet you," Tessa said to the doll. "Right. Regarding your current status, your employer has agreed to let us hire you for time being-"

"They what?" he barked in shock, causing both Tessa and Shanghai to jump off their feet. "Oh, boy, she's going to regret this, that Miss Lewd…"

(Back at Washington, D.C., Agent Reina was reviewing the operation's post-mortem with her officers when she suddenly sneezed. "I bet he must be badmouthing her again," one of her colleagues commented.

"Well, it can't be helped when it's all about our resident fashion designer's outrageous dress," his partner said. "Thighs-highs and glasses? I can live with those any day."

"Personally, I prefer pantyhose, but glasses are fine, too," he spoke.

"Cut that out, we're in the middle of a meeting here," the embarrassed Agent Reina demanded.)

He buried his face in his palms. "I'll be sailing close to Davy Jones' Locker for the rest of my life?" he muttered in complete defeat. "I'll never get my chance to be with Yuu again…"

Seeing the bounty hunter in despair made Tessa feel guilty, as so the two soldiers. "Umm… I'm sure both of us can discuss about your future payment," she spoke in an effort to regain his attention. "I-I even read your portfolio prior to your arrival. You worked with NITE Global Security, right? I can assure you that-" Her enthusiasm died out as she realized he wouldn't even follow the conversation. "Oh, I guess I was being too pushy in this matter," she uttered.

"That reminds me," the scar-faced soldier spoke. "As Arbalest and I were fighting the mecha dog, I spotted the All-Seeing Eye symbol on its head; does that remind you of anything, ma'am?"

"Come to think about it, we did receive a request from the ASEAN governments to investigate the involvement of the boundary cult in Spratly Islands territorial dispute," his female colleague added.

"Now that you two reminded me, I just remembered the Spherian representatives approached MITHRIL and requesting us to perform an investigation on the cult on Timor Leste," Tessa spoke. She snickered when she noticed that the bounty hunter had paid attention to her. "Well, it seems our guest of honour here has his curiosity piqued finally."

"You tell me," Hikki spoke, even as Shanghai left Tessa's shoulder as to land on his head. "Though I'm interested in the boundary cult more than anything else at the moment."

"Well, Mister Hikki? I'm sure both of us will be working together in an excellent partnership in the future," Tessa spoke in confidence. "We'll even provide you with as much resource as you ask. What do you say if you stay with us for time being until we're done with our operation in Korea?"

He stared at the submarine commander, then at the two soldiers; the female personnel sported a welcoming grin. After a minute of intense eye gazing he gave in and threw his hands upward. "Whatever floats the boat, Miss Tessa," he shrugged. "I'll work with you."

"Great!" Tessa spoke. "I guess we can hold a welcoming party for Mister Hikki after this."

"Under one condition:" he interrupted. "You guys must allow me to work under my own rule, no exception," he pointed. "Now, does this submarine have a phone? I need to call my home; I swear to myself Yuu will kill me if she knows I'm having a relationship with a female navy officer."

Tessa chuckled. "I'm sure she won't find any problem with that," she spoke.

He rolled his eyes into his head. "Good grief."

-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's note**: starting from the next chapter, Heart of Melting Blood's new arc will focus on a rogue Knight seeking for redemption after years of blinded vengeance against the Holy Orders. This author will also hold no responsibility for all the possibilities that may spawn from the "intellectual" conversation between Hikki and Tessa, including seeing Yuu-chan going jealous over-

**Dracula**: what is a jealousy? A miserable little pile of green monsters! But enough talk, have at you!  
**Parsee**: have at me? You… you're making me jealous!  
**Envy**: You're making me jealous, too!  
**Random passers-by**: Parsee x Envy for the win!  
**Parsee/Envy**: …

Until then.


	11. Interlude: Lonely Soldier Boy

**CHAPTER 10  
****INTERLUDE ~ LONELY SOLDIER BOY**

He was alone, a solitary man in this little place he called home. He didn't mind the loneliness he had to cope with, and he knew he didn't earn the nickname 'lone wolf of the authors' for no reason. It was years ago when he decided to walk this path, the very path that would shape and form him to become the person he was now. People came and people went, history got written and rewritten; he had seen many occasions, he had made friends with many comrades, people who used to share the moments together in easy and hard times.

And as he was staring at the ruins from atop of a cliff, his only question was whether he could maintain order in the world he had crafted with his own hand. He shook his head, shrugging the issue out of his head. He didn't need to think too much about it; after all, as long as he could lift the pen and write the world accordingly, he could, in essence, let the words dictate themselves.

Right now, though, there was a pressing question that needed an immediate answer.

Reports about the Spherian Organization sponsoring the next King of Fighters tournament in Egypt had reached his hand. According to his trusted source in Cairo, the organization had struck a deal with the government before the revolution swept across the entire nation, which had seen the unpopular regime toppled, and the Spherians had intended to continue organizing the tournament regardless of the political upheaval. He got the feeling he needed to consult someone who could help him with the matter.

"Daydreaming again?"

He turned to the voice. He just smiled at the person who was greeting her and put the letter back to his pocket. "Just thinking about the world and its everyday problems," he said.

"You better be," she uttered and walked to him. "Wouldn't it be helpful if you could contribute something to the world instead of standing her and looking at the ruins?" she asked.

He sighed. "You tell me."

The woman chuckled. "Come on, you know you have something to say, aren't you?" When he spoke nothing, she merely smiled and placed her hand upon his arm. "So this is the place you told me, right? I can imagine how it'd look like in the past."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I have to bring you here," he spoke.

She laughed. "Lone Wolf, please! I readily accepted your offer to be my boyfriend at the restaurant, why must you be apologetic?" she uttered. "It's not that I wouldn't accept your company without any solid reason. You know that yourself."

He let out a half-hearted chuckle. "But I blurted that out, and I ended up embarrassing myself in front of them. If that didn't help, what else would?" He threw his sight far into the barren land, and yet his companion could guess he was trying to hide his flushed cheeks. "Stop staring at my face. It's not cute."

"Yes, you are," she uttered and playfully poked his face. "Just like the last time. I still remember the first time our eyes met at the cafe…"

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Satellite Ice Cafe, somewhere…

Hibiki. The seventeen-year-old heir of the Takane Clan, student of Musou Maden School, was on a journey of self-discovery. Having taken part in the sealing of the guardian god Kouryuu, which witnessed the ultimate sacrifice done by her compatriot Yuki, she took an oath in front of her father's tomb that she would travel around the world and know more about her role as a sword master. Her journey had taken her across the land, and along the way she had encountered many people and had taken part in many events. The Crusades, the rise of Britannia, the invasion of interstellar creatures, she had seen many. For her, it was experience like these that helped her in mastering her mind and nurturing her soul, essential to help her overcoming the world's challenge.

Right now, what she wanted to have was a glass of tea to sooth her inner self.

She walked into the cafe. It was a stark contrast from anything she had seen before. Everywhere she looked at, the Western and jazzy aura was strongly felt, and there was obviously a lack of Oriental feeling in the cafe. She didn't want to think about it too much and took a table near the window.

"Welcome to Satellite Ice Cafe," the waitress greeted. "How can I help you?"

She looked at the waitress. What a strange attire to wear, she thought when she noticed decorative patches on her uniform that included thigh-high socks and garter belt, and she could also notice a pointed hat adorning the waitress' head. "Oh, yes, the menu," she said, not wanting to worry the waitress. "What's the most special menu this place has?"

"Would I recommend satellite iced tea?" the waitress spoke. "It's a variation of our special satellite iced coffee, and both drinks are very popular among your customers."

"Satellite iced tea?" she asked. She was unfamiliar with the term and wanted to know.

"It's our secret recipe, so I can't tell you the details," the waitress told her. "I can only say that the process involves manipulating the extreme variation between two temperatures. Oh, would you like some muffins to come with your tea?"

"Yes, I'd like to."

The waitress returned to the counter where she was relaying the order to a cat-girl cashier. She took the opportunity to look around the cafe; there were familiar faces, and there were also unfamiliar faces. There was Iori Yagami, who was accompanied by the likes of Old Snake, Vash the Stampede and Mu La Flaga, and he was not happy with his companions. There was also Shanoa, and the quiet, bareback Glyph user paid no attention to a legion of fan boys in spite of their fierce wolf-whistling. In a fairly secluded corner of the cafe she could also see a certain Jedi Master pitted against the reincarnation of a vampire lord in the game of chess.

"You used the force! You cheated!" Soma Cruz protested.

"It'd certainly be a fair game if you didn't use that Succubus soul as distraction," Obi-Wan jeered.

Sitting next to the chess players was a bookworm who had finished reading a copy of 'Alice and Her Adventures in the Wonderland'. She placed the book aside, took a slurp of Yakult and resumed reading; this time the book of choice was 'The Bourne Identity'.

"What a strange place to have a gathering," the young swordswoman commented.

"It isn't that strange once you know this cafe's true function," another voice greeted her. She looked at the owner of the voice and met eye-to-eye with a blonde-haired woman in all-white executive outfit. On her head was a puffy hat decorated with purple ribbons, and held in her hand was a paper fan full of eye-like symbols. "My ser- worker had greeted you once, but I guess it won't hurt to do it again. Welcome to Satellite Ice Cafe; I'm the chief director of this place Yukari Yakumo."

"I'm Hibiki Takane, pleased to meet you," she replied.

The woman smiled and took a seat in front of her. "I take it you're a traveller, yes?" she asked.

"That I am," Hibiki said.

Yukari grinned. "It must be tough for a young lady to travel alone without a proper companion, isn't it?"

"I know," she answered. "I had asked Mister Amano if he could come along with me, but he said I'd better take the journey on my own." The waitress returned with satellite ice tea and muffins she had ordered earlier. "So tell me, Miss Yakumo, what's not strange about this place?"

"First thing first: please call me Yukari, since I'm still seventeen~" Yukari uttered while hiding her foxy smile behind the paper fan. The mention of 'seventeen' was greeted with mixed reaction: the legion of fan boys responded with even wilder wolf whistling, while others were too engrossed in their own matters. Mu and Vash gave her two thumbs up of approval, while the disdained Iori flipped a bird at her. "Oh, Iori boy, how rude of you to treat this youthful lady like this," she retorted.

"As if I care, hag," Iori snarled, even as Old Snake was giving him some advice about gender equality.

"Oh, just look at them," Yukari whined to her guest. "Boys; they'll never understand the significance of being eternally seventeen." She chuckled when she noticed the swordswoman was staring at her strangely. "Oh, silly Yukarin being ignorant to her guest again."

Just then Hibiki's eyes caught the sight of a man in trench coat sitting at a solitude corner of the cafe, his silhouette barely lit by the overhanging fan. Yukari noticed it and chuckled. "Seems you have an eye for the lone wolf already," she said.

"Lone wolf?" Hibiki inquired.

"That's the name he wants everyone to use," Yukari answered. "He's my regular customer but he never gets himself a partner - or _girlfriend_, even." She grinned. "Try greeting him. Maybe he'll say a word or two."

"Miss Yukari! Mister Archer wants you to resupply the flour stock right now!" the cat-girl cashier shouted.

Yukari turned to the swordswoman and gave her a wink. "Yukarin will be back~" She headed to the kitchen, leaving the young woman with her meal to eat. After a while she decided to give it a try and approached the man in trench coat; he was examining a combat knife as she noticed, and the solemn expression on his was telling her he didn't want any company.

"Umm… hello?" The man stopped checking his weapon and looked up at her. A loud thud could be heard across the cafe as he fell of his chair and onto the floor. She just chuckled as he hurriedly got back to his seat. "I hope I'm not interfering," she said.

"No, you didn't," he uttered and put back the knife inside his coat. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I was wondering of you could join me at my table," she said. "Have you ordered anything to drink?" She giggled again as he was fumbling with his words. "Perhaps I shouldn't bother you and enjoy my iced tea instead," she said jokingly.

"He's just shy with women," an elderly man in goatee and cape told her. "He's always like that."

"And who might you be, sir?" she asked.

"Mathias Fahrenheit-Tepes, milady," he said and took a gentlemanly bow. "You may call me Sir Tepes, if you like." He instantly got booed at by the patrons. "Please, people. It's been hundreds of years since I last had my opportunity to be courteous to the ladies," he retorted.

"The fact that your reincarnation is right next to you only makes things more complicated," Obi-Wan said and pointed to Soma; the Dracula reincarnation gave him a strange look before he positioned his chess piece to a counterattacking position. "Rats. I did not see that coming."

"But Obi-Wan, women like vampire because our species stay ageless," Dracula answered. "And they certainly have the taste for someone like me. I'm sure Mister Lone Wolf and his comrades will agree with me."

"Sorry to burst your bubbles, Dracula, but your kind is no longer likable," the man in trench coat said. "Blame those sparkly bloodsucking creatures from Twilight for that." He paused. "Besides, you are a monster, and monsters don't belong to this world certainly."

"I know where this is going," Old Snake said to Vash.

"Oh, yeah, this is going to be interesting," Vash added.

"And yet, Lone Wolf, it was not by my own hands that I was once given bones and flesh," Dracula spoke. "I was called here by **humans** who wished to pay me tribute." He took a glassful of red wine and lifted it to the air. "Unlike those sparkling imitators, I happen to like tributes like, say, booties and free internet."

"Long live the internet," Mu cheered.

"Tributes? But Dracula, you decide to steal their poor souls and turn them into your slaves," the man in trench coat answered.

"Perhaps the same could be said to all religions, my friend," Dracula said and sipped a bit of the red wine.

"Umm… should I do something about this?" Hibiki asked.

"They just like having fun, let them be," L4D Bill told her. "Hey, Shanoa! How about you treat me with coffee? I'm afraid I'm running out of caffeine, _if you catch my drift_."

Shanoa responded by using one of her Glyphs and shot sealing needles onto Bill. "Go away." Her cold, unassuming reaction earned more wolf whistles from the fan boys legion, not to mention the Jovian Lizards and male crews of Minerva also joined them in the howling. She blushed in embarrassment and shooed them away.

"Your words are as empty as your soul, Lord Dracula," the man in trench coat spoke and pointed straight at his adversary's face. "Very, _very_ empty." He paused, and it was such a dramatic pause even the bookworm put down the book she was reading and stared at him in curiosity. Realizing he was now at the centre of unwanted attention, added with the fact that his adversary had seated down on a makeshift throne, he pressed on. "You, who has been doomed to failure ever since you lost the ability to love. You must know that we, mankind, ill needs such a loveless saviour such as _you_."

"What is a **MAN?**" Dracula proclaimed and smashed the wineglass to the floor. "A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, Lone Wolf," he spoke and stood up. "Have this cream pie!" He tossed it at his opponent but missed his target and hit Shanoa on the back. The Glyph user turned around and glowered at Dracula with a dark expression on her face; she was clearly appalled by what he had done.

"Cream pie on Shanoa's back," one of the fan boys said giddily. "Who doesn't want to see that?"

"Wish she had donned naked apron for us," the Jovian Lizard added. "That would be nice."

The legion of fan boys stared at Shanoa. The girl summoned Dominus in response to the perverts' banter and aimed the dark energy at them, only to be distracted when another cream pie splattered on her. "Uhh… who threw this pie at me?" she whined while wiping the sticky substance off her. There was only enough cream to smear her on the face, neck, shoulder and chest, yet the effect was instantaneous as the fan boys got knocked out cold due to massive blood loss.

"At least we don't have peeping tom paparazzi with us," Mu commented.

"You mean the tengu paparazzi?" Old Snake asked.

"Yeah, I was talking about her," Mu said.

"SHAMEIMARU~!" Vash shouted and threw his arms upward.

(Somewhere in Gensokyo, Aya sneezed. "Hey, who's backstabbing me?" she demanded.)

"Jeez, you guys always like to make fun of her," Yukari said as she approached the distressed Shanoa. "I'll get you cleaned, dear. Come with me." The fan boys' imagination went over the top as they pictured the elaborate cleaning ritual that would certainly be full of licking and kissing and smooching and hugging and snuggling and squeezing, as Shanoa moaned in pleasure and surrendered herself to the-

"Eat this!"

**Soma Cruz killed the Legion of Fan Boys with Red Minotaur Soul + Alucard's Spear.**

"You should use the Valmanway instead," Obi-Wan told him.

"Don't remind me," he retorted.

With the side show done, Dracula and the man in trench coat returned to their respective business. The swordswoman was at loss of words after what was happening but decided to go back to enjoy her meal. It did not take long before the man in trench coat joined her, much to her surprise. "Oh, dear. I thought you wouldn't bother," she said.

"Boredom leads to stress, and stress leads to lack of productivity," he uttered.

She chuckled. "My, you certainly know how to impress a woman," she remarked.

"Hey, can't help it when you're the only sane among the insane," he said, causing his fellows to boo at him. "Cut it out, guys! It's not that I want to flirt with her or something, for God's sake."

"Good luck for that, my friend," Dracula said with a toss of the wine.

"What a tsun," Iori jeered.

"Lobe Wolf is a river in Africa~" Van sang.

The swordswoman laughed. "I didn't know I can make friend with oddballs," she said while covering her laugh behind her palm. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't laugh at you."

"You tell me," he replied.

"That means you are funny, even when you're not." The remark made him blush, and she laughed again over his inability to react properly to such tease. "Right, I should stop before I turn someone into a stammering wreck. You're Lone Wolf, aren't you? Miss Yukari told me your name; is she a friend of yours?"

"Yukari? Yeah, you can think of us as partners," he answered. "Satellite ice tea, eh? I see you're following the trend of this place."

"I happen to be a tea lover, thank you," she said. "My name is Hibiki. It is an honour to meet you."

"Uh-huh. It's my pleasure, too, even though we barely know each other for more than half an hour," he uttered. "But anyway, where do you come from and why you decide to pay this cafe a visit?"

"Well, you see…"

-x-x-x-x-

He chuckled. "Oh, yeah, that time. It surely was fun exchanging words with Dracula about man being miserable little pile of secret," he said. "Of course, that was also our first meeting, and it started everything for us. I think."

"Indeed it is," she said and looked back at the ruins. "Can we leave now? I don't think I want to stay here and look at the ruins."

"Right, we better go somewhere else," he said and walked away from the cliff, with his companion closely following him. "How about we visit Shanghai? I heard there's a new restaurant there."

"That would be nice," she agreed. "By the way, you owed me the story about the cafe. You haven't told me what's so special about the place."

"I'll tell you along our trip," he told her. "The story goes…"


	12. Bloodline Of The Damned

**CHAPTER 11  
****BLOODLINES OF THE DAMNED**

**Location**: Holy Orders North American Headquarters, British Columbia  
**Date**: five years ago…

It was a scene of total gore.

Everywhere there were traces of bones and flesh that dotted the interior of the cathedral as if they were extra decorations. The foul stench in the air was a potent irritating agent, hurting every nostril that dared sniffing it. Moans and groans of pain could be heard across the main hall as the injured were clinging onto their life.

_It was as if God had sent his messenger of death to claim the souls of mortal beings in the bloodiest method one could possibly imagine._

Standing in the middle of the sea of blood was a man dressed in black. In one hand, he was holding a spear smeared in blood; in another hand was a chain whip with a spiked ball attached on its tip. He was staring at the only survivor of the carnage: a bishop cowering in fear near the altar. His eyes were glowing red, burning in hatred at the sight of cowardice, and he clenched the hilt of the whip as the bishop was begging for his dear life.

"P-please go away… I had nothing to do with it," the elderly bishop pleaded.

"Then why did you choose to remain silent? Why did you not do anything when they approved of the extermination?" the man in black continued.

"I had no idea they would carry it out for real, I swear to God!" the bishop answered in shaky voice.

"Then you are guilty," the man in black uttered. "Guilty for failing to prevent the slaughtering of innocent lives. Guilty for failing to prevent such atrocity from being committed in the name of God." He aimed the blood-stained spear at the bishop. "All living creatures were created with the equal right to live on this land. All living beings were created with the right to live in peace, harmony and happiness. Why can we not appreciate this gift and instead choose to deny them off their rights?"

"What… what about you? You violated the code of the Knighthood and sided with those… monsters!" the bishop spoke.

"Monsters? _What_ monsters?" he barked. "All I know is that there were like us: they had families, they had friends, and they even knew what love meant!" He frowned. "It is us… it is us who are the real monsters! It is us who fails to understand the importance of treating other living beings with equal!"

The door was kicked open, and came in the Holy Order's special police force. "Alexander Belmont-Hahn!" the chief police shouted as the squad surrounded the perimeter. "In the name of God and the Sacred Knights of Holy Order, you are under arrest for murder and terrorism. Lay down your weapons and surrender yourself."

The man in black turned around. After a while, he walked away from the altar and approached the main door. "Alex, please!" the bishop called out. "You have to stop! Committing this crime will not bring your family back to life!"

He halted. "I'm sorry, Father, but this is the only way I know," he muttered and turned back to face the special police.

"Lay down your weapons or we will exert force against you," the chief police repeated the order. He paid the ranked officer no attention and calmly walked past the police squad, taking no regard of their readiness to apprehend them. It was only when he was step away from being arrested that he turned back and faced the squad. "Alexander Belmont-Hahn! I will say this only once: do NOT violate your order."

"I do not care if it is a violation or not," the man in black spoke, even as he dropped the spear and his other weapons onto the floor; chain whip, cross boomerang, throwing knives, and related items. "I do not care if I disgrace myself in front of God and His heavenly kingdom." He lifted his arms slightly from his body, head stooping low, and a pair of hidden blades appeared from within his sleeves, causing some of the police officers to step back cautiously. "But I do know," he spoke, even as he appeared behind the police chief in a speed too fast for any eye to catch, and grabbed the back of his neck.

"Wha- what just happened?" the police chief asked in shock.

"That people like you are the lowliest of lowly scum that ever walks the earth," the man in black spoke and tightened his grip. "You will never learn what I have done to you."

A sharp, audible sound of blade drawn out echoed in the air.

And then blood gushed into the air.

The police officer gagged, chocked and went into spasm as his neck was pierced by the hidden blade. Gurgling noise was coming from his throat as he put his hands on his neck to stop the bleeding; it was a fruitless effort, and as soon as the knight withdrew the police officer fell onto the floor, a lifeless statue.

"_Requiescat in Pace."_

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Atlasian Grand Library, Alexandria, Egypt  
**Date**: present day, 213X

"Bummer. How am I supposed to be at the party and still have time to complete the report?"

Sion Eltman Atlasia threw her arms upward in defeat. Earlier she had received an invitation to the Inter-Dimensional Librarian Union's conference, and it stated that she was to be paired with the Great Librarian to act as co-hosts. At the same time she also had to complete her paperwork on the regional conflict between GDI and NOD, which was to be submitted to the Atlasian Society's council by tomorrow afternoon. It did not help that she also got invited to Satellite Ice Cafe for afternoon tea session with the Yakumo Family on the same day, and she was feeling very messed up.

"Augh… wish they could just do a video conference instead," she mumbled and banged her head against a chemistry book. "I'll never get the break I so deserve to have…" She decided to steal some time for afternoon nap but her peaceful moment easily got swept away by the ringing sound of the desk phone. She groaned in disdain and answered the phone call. "Atlasian Grand Library, this is the helpdesk. Can I help you?" She almost jumped off her chair when she found out who the caller was. "Oh! It's Lone Wolf! Goodness gracious me, you almost killed me of surprise," she remarked.

"_Hey, listen, my hands are very full right now, so can I ask you a favour?"_ Lone Wolf's voice was heard shouting in the earpiece. _"I need you to find information about- guys, lower your voices! I'm making a phone call here!"_

"Sounds like you're having quite a party over there," Sion said in amusement.

"_A very wild and crazy party, actually,"_ Lone Wolf answered. _"Oh, shut up Dante! Like you always run out of money to pay the rent!"_

"_This is a party! A CRAAAAAZY party!"_ the former devil hunter shouted while revving up a guitar. _"Hey, Nero! Play the bass for me, will you?"_

"_Sion, you still there? I can't talk to you any longer- Snake, stop banging your head on that door! - so can I ask you to find information about the upcoming King of Fighters tournament?"_ Again his phone call got interrupted by the howls of the drunken partygoers. _"You should be lucky our tea party is postponed! Dante, stop flirting my girlfriend or I'll tell Trish and Lady you're double-crossing them!"_

"_Come on, where's the fun in that?"_ Dante taunted.

"I know," Sion said, unable to bear herself from laughing. "If this is a video conference, I'm sure things will get even more energetic."

"_You're going to regret that very much, Sion,"_ Lone Wolf uttered. _"Alright, got to go! These people are getting way out of control already!"_

"I see if I can find anything," Sion answered. "Have fun at the party."

"_Yeah, thanks very much! Alright, guys! Who wants to sing Katyusha with me?"_

There was another howl from the partygoers as Lone Wolf joined them in the frenzy, and that was seconds before the line got cut off. Sion heaved a long sigh of relief; she no longer had to worry about the meeting at the cafe for now, although there were still the report and the convention to be taken care of. The request her compatriot had asked was a little daunting: it had been many years since the last King of Fighters tournament was held, and all information about it was either lost in time, or sealed away from reach.

She didn't have to worry about it.

She remembered a rumour about the Spherian Organization and the pre-revolution government co-organizing a brand new KOF. It might be the information Lone Wolf was looking for, so she started her work there. She began by digging through the archives to find any clues about the whip user, and a news article caught her attention. It was a leaked document about the organizers' secret deal, and along with it were photographs (taken by undercover journalists, obviously) of the organizers meeting near the Nile river.

As she was browsing the files, she stumbled across a three-months-old bounty issued by the police department, and it read:

"_This bounty is to be given to anyone who can bring the armed and potentially dangerous terrorist to justice. Dead is fine, but alive is preferred. For more information, please contact this number."_

There was also a sketch of the suspected 'terrorist': it described a man in the early thirties, with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, wearing black-gold uniform with eagle-shaped hoodie, and donning scarlet-coloured scarf around his neck. He was also described as 'an expert in multiple weapons combat, and is a skilled close-ranged fighter able to assassinate his opponents like a gentle wind breeze'.

"Terrorist? More like an assassin to me." Sion remembered the stories the previous Atlasian head librarian spoke about the Order of Assassins and the secret war they waged against the Knights Templar, probably as old as the dawn of humanity itself, as well as rumours about the Abstergo Industries' circles of influence in the AEU.

She continued her investigation on both subjects, yet it soon proved to be a task too daunting, so she left her desk and went to the rooftop. She sighed in pleasure the moment the fresh Mediterranean wind greeted her, and she allowed the gentle breeze to caress her face. She yelped when a sudden gust almost flipped her skirt upward, exposing her creamy thighs to the air, and presenting to the very eager eyes-

_(An AC-130U Spectre laid down suppressive fire onto the legion of fan boys just as they started to howl in excitement over the so-called 'accidental fan service'. "Whoa! This is gonna be one hell of a highlight reel," the fire control officer commented after the 105mm howitzer was fired._

"_Yeah, I heard that," his partner said.)_

"Jeez, what's up with today's weather," Sion grumbled as she quickly covered her modesty. She threw her sight to the bluish vastness that is the Mediterranean Sea and closed her eye momentarily, allowing the sea breeze to envelop her body. It had been weeks since the people's revolution that saw the leadership of the country to fall out of favour, and things had returned to normal after chaotic demonstrations and street fights that had claimed many lives. She did not have many reasons to worry about it: the Atlasian Society had maintained its neutral policy in the bleak time, and thus was able to stay away from the waves of revolution while keeping in touch with its latest development. As one of the society's more prominent figures, it was her role to ensure the Grand Library obtained as much information about the revolution as possible.

She sighed. She never liked getting involved in revolution, or any uprising whatsoever. For her, the transition of power should be done through correct channel and not be done on the streets, needlessly sacrificing many lives in the process. She felt that if she had the power to prevent such thing, she would use the power, but she was helpless in the face of the overwhelming people's uprising.

Her moments of peace lasted for a while, however, when her bodyguards appeared. "Madam Sion, it is time," the captain spoke.

She opened her eyes. Turning at the secret agents she nodded and left the rooftop with her bodyguards following her. "Has the preparation been made?" she asked as she headed back to the library.

"It has, Madam Sion," the captain answered. "The representatives are due to arrive in fifteen minutes, and we're ready to take them under our custody should the situation permits." She shook her head. This is why she steered away from bureaucracy: she was never good in striking bargain with people of high importance. The fact that the Atlasian Society had begun a series of negotiation with the Spherian Organization only made her feel ill-prepared for it, yet nevertheless she tried not showing her lack of confidence in front of her men and focused on meeting the representatives.

"God knows what will happen if the Earth Federation Alliance is the one…" she muttered. "Alright, prepare the venue, and make sure my guests are given the best accommodation as possible."

"It shall be done, Madam Sion."

Amidst the preparation that was vigorously taking place, none of the tenants had any idea that they were being watched, as somewhere in the city, a hooded figure was attentively observing the library through his sniper scope, and his sight was focused on an entourage that had arrived at the library. He was alone, a solitary man in the middle of the bustling metropolis, but that didn't seem to bother him in many ways.

He put back the suppressed Stealth Recon Scout sniper rifle. Slowly he rose on his feet-

"_Laa shay'a waqu'in moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine."_

-and switched to his hidden blades.

_Nothing is true. Everything is permitted._

-x-x-x-x-x-

_/ Another flashback sequence /_

It was over.

In less than a couple of minutes, the hooded fighter had done something that would be deemed impossible, and he wasn't even batting a single drop of sweat. His opponents were all but spared as they were lying on the floor, bodies riddled in puncture holes of all sizes. He stood still, a figure in the middle of the carnage, and he wasn't even fazed by the terrorized priest who had fallen into the deepest state of despair.

"Be grateful that I spared your life, Father," he spoke and slowly walked away from the carnage. "Farewell. May our paths not cross in the future." He left the empty cathedral and headed outside, walking to a destination only he knew where his feet would lead. It was to be a temporary journey, however, when he came across a mysterious lady standing at the end of the road.

_And she was smiling at him._

"Going somewhere, I see~" He ignored the woman and continued his trip. "Well, I can tell that you're on a mission to avenge your beloved one's death." His steps halted, the hooded fighter glanced at the woman, his eyes full of contempt. "Now, now~ there is no need to be hostile~ I'm just wondering if you're willing to listen to me for a while."

"Name your price."

The woman chuckled and hid her grin behind the fan. "Very observant~ I like that about you. Now." She closed the butterfly-decorated fan and folded her arms in a knowing pose. "I'm making you an offer you will not refuse. Of course, you can choose to reject it, but there's no guarantee both of us will meet again anytime soon." He frowned, although his eyes no longer emitted the aura of hate, and his fists had softened and loosened up. "That's better~" she uttered.

"What do you want to offer, woman?"

She grinned. "A chance of redemption, opportunity to cleanse the corrupt, right the wrong, serve justice properly, you know the drill. Of course," and she opened the fan again, "giving you the right method to channel your anger is not my specialty." She smiled when the hooded fighter had withdrawn his hidden blade. "However, there is a group who will appreciate the special, non-ordinary skills you possess, and I'm sure you will find yourself at home."

He retracted the hidden blade. "Very well. Show me."

The woman grinned once again and conjured her hand in the air, summoning a gap that slowly materialized in front of her. "Well, then." She stepped into the gap and gestured at him to follow her lead. "Come with me, and I hope you will enjoy this trip~"


	13. Creed of the Brotherhood

**CHAPTER 12  
****CREED OF THE BROTHERHOOD**

**Location**: Royal Palace, Illyuria  
**Date**: present day. Sort of.

**Note: **this chapter contains the violation of canon and common sense. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.

The reappointed King Ky Kiske was in nerve wreck, and for a good reason.

News had reached him that investigations on assassination attempts on Middle Eastern leaders and reached a dead end, and the Egyptian authorities in particular had requested for the Interpol's help to lessen their burden. To make matters more complicated, his former Interpol colleagues had suggested his name in the investigation panel and he was asked to be present in the panel's first meeting.

He grumbled. He never knew he would be involved in international affairs, not after he and his sworn rival Sol had put the final nail on That Man's coffin. On top of that, his son was missing, but he was less worried about the boy's safety; he knew Valentine could fend for himself even without his help. All he wanted after solving the incident was to return to his kingdom and play his role as a just king beloved by many.

Although that was the least worrying aspect of his life, for right now…

"Darling~"

His attention to his paperwork that was piling on the table was disrupted by the playful voice of his wife calling him. Dizzy - the 'perfect Gear' as some would say - was walking into the room dressed up in her usual blue-white summer dress, the kind that would make even the most stoic man fix his eyes upon. She didn't seem to pay attention to Ky's shocked face upon seeing her presence and walked up to him, until she was standing behind his chair.

"Uhh… what do you want?" Ky asked and quickly averted his eyes away.

The blue-haired woman giggled and placed her arms around his neck. "Do you know what day it is today?" she asked.

"Dizzy, I'm a bit busy right now, can't you see?" he said while trying to shove her away.

"Busy? Come on, Ky, why you must get yourself busy with national affair," she said and placed her palms upon his cheeks, making him face her, "when you have me for all day long?"

"I appreciate your intention of lifting the burdens of a king off my shoulders, but this isn't the right time to do that," Ky said. Dizzy merely smiled and leaned down as to plant her lips upon his forehead, making him flinch at the gesture. "Don't."

"Don't what?" she asked in protest.

"Don't do that," he pointed.

Dizzy pouted. "What's wrong with a wife showing her affection to her beloved husband? Or maybe…" She let go off him, only to sit down _right on his lap,_ and she snickered as she hooked her arms about his arms. "Or maybe Sir Kiske prefers Lady Kiske doing this to him, hmm~?"

Ky found himself at loss of words, more so as Dizzy was deliberately pressing her assets against his upper body; it didn't help that her creamy, luscious thigh was now exposed in all its glory (after all, who doesn't want to hit on a hot mom? Ahem, let's not get there, shall we?). "Uhh… Dizzy, kindly let go off me. I have MOUs to sign right now." He gulped when the woman's smile turned deadly seductive, and he could feel his heart pounding crazily against his ribcage when Dizzy purred.

"MOUs? What MOUs? All I see is that my husband is beginning to lose interests in grown-up women and prefers young, _untouched_ girls," she spoke, even as she was slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"I don't understand what you're saying," he said, his face drenched in cold sweat due to the claims she made.

"Oh~ maybe I should start asking you about photo stashes I found inside the closet," she spoke and dragged her delicate finger down his exposed chest. Ky gulped, and despite his best effort not to panic, he started to lose his composure as Dizzy placed his arm underneath her hips, as if persuading him to cradle him like a man would do to his lover. "Do you know…"

"Uhh… what is it?"

"…that everything is better with mini skirts?" Dizzy asked as she continued her dangerous, overly scandalous act. "My friend in the military told me that her colonel had to be 'rationalized' for introducing skimpy outfit into service. Do you know what happened to him afterwards?"

"Who do you think I am?" he uttered in panic. "Roy Mustang?"

Dizzy snickered. "Oh? So that's his name. Well, well, I wonder if I should start _interrogating you~"_

And so, as Dizzy Kiske start asking him about the nature of his new… interests in girls' trendy fashion, Ky found himself at the mercy of… "No one? Why the hell there's no one in this office? And why is this suddenly becoming too unsafe for young readers? And why is the Voice of Heaven narrating this section?" he barked.

"Oh, you Ky Kiske, surely you don't mind giving everything to your beloved "waifu" right here," the Voice of Heaven (who suspiciously sounds very much like a certain Emperor Britannia) said mockingly. "And yes, I emphasized the word "waifu" because I can."

"But not when this story is supposed to be rated save for everyone!" he replied. "Curse you, Voice of Heaven! Curse you, Lone Wolf! Curse you all to eternity!"

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Satellite Ice Café  
**Date**: who knows~

"That's not how you should start this chapter, Lone Wolf," Kaoru Kamiya of _Rurouni Kenshin_ fame said. "You're only making fun of married couples like us."

"You tell me," Lone Wolf replied and rested his head on his arm. "I think I'm running out of creativity fuel. Fetch me iced tea, please."

"And the next thing I know is that you're writing a parody of Divine Comedy," Kaoru said jokingly.

"I wish," he retorted.

"So tell me, Mr and Mrs Kiske were married prior to our meeting, yes?" Hibiki asked while being served with satellite iced tea.

"That was… three years ago. Wait, is it four? I can't even remember," Lone Wolf answered. "Oh, well. At least I know they're living a prosper life. Sort of."

"I'm sure they are," Kaoru continued. "Also, isn't Ky married to someone who is not a Gear, like what Guilty Gear 2 is telling?"

The author was silent. For a moment, it was as if he was staring into the blank ceiling as he was holding onto his glass, worrying everybody around him. "Guilty Gear 2… Devil may Cry reboot-prequel… eh?" he murmured, almost disapprovingly.

"Well, we can talk about this later," Kaoru said as she realized the awkward silence that was accompanying. "But please continue your story about the knight. Is it true that he abandoned the order and became an assassin?"

"Oh, yeah, that story." He paused, only to take a quick glimpse at the sword-wanderer, title bearer Rurouni Kenshin who was as drunk as anyone could imagine. "Well, should we leave him as it is?"

"Kenshin? Nah, he's enjoying himself getting smashed," Kaoru answered dismissively. "It's his new hobby, really. You should've been there when he first discovered the pleasure of booze."

"I wish," he replied with a vague smile. "Right, I better continue the story, but I must correct you on one thing:" He took a sip of the tea. "He didn't become an assassin." A pause, then he continued: "_He is an assassin._"

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Alexandria, Egypt  
**Date**: Present day.

"So… that's all you can remember?"

She solemnly nodded. "I wish I could give you more details, but… my mind's still hurt. I'm sorry."

The inspector nodded and put away his pen and notebook. "Better than nothing, I guess. Thanks for the cooperation, Miss Atlasia. We'll keep you posted about this case."

She nodded in return, albeit reluctantly. "Wish I could help you with this matter, I'm sorry."

The inspector, then, instructed at paramedic to attend her while he proceeded to ask another witness. She could care less about the investigation, or the fact that the Library was now swarmed with news reporters and curious bystanders, all vying to take a peek of the situation. Everything took place so fast, too fast for her to cope with, and she could not have a grasp on what had happened during the meeting.

All she knew was that she was dealing with someone literally _out of the world…_

"Who the hell are these guys?" she shouted.

"No idea, ma'am," the chief guard replied calmly and returned fire with his PP2000. "Damn it, my gun isn't a match for theirs."

"Then do something!" she lamented and pushed the VIP's head lower. "Stay low! Do you want to get hit?"

Like a corn plantation swarmed by hungry locusts, the meeting held between SPHERE and House of Atlasia was ambushed by militias that appeared out of thin air, almost as if they were literally teleported into the library. The surprise factor was so great that the bodyguards who were assigned to protect the VIP were quickly overpowered, despite the relatively small numbers of the militias.

And as suddenly as it appeared, the militias stopped attacking and retreated to the back of the library. The defenders watched from behind the safety of the barricade as the militia literally _vanished_ in thin air, almost as if they were ghosts. "Are we safe?" Sion asked.

"One way to find out," the chief guard said and signalled at his men to scout the area. Sion stayed with the envoy chief, who was clearly traumatized after seeing his escort indiscriminately gunned down. "All clear," the chief guard spoke. "It's too dangerous to stay here. We'll escort the VIP out of the library and return to the safe house."

"Sounds like a plan," Sion responded.

The signals were given, and the bodyguards made a defensive circle as the VIP was escorted out of danger zone. They reached the parking lot and wasted no time putting the VIP back into the armoured limousine. Sion joined the convoy as they drove from the library, yet it was not long before they were caught up in traffic jam. They tried squeezing through, moving and stalling every inch as the congestion became worse.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" the chief muttered and stopped driving the limousine. "We'll go on foot. Everyone on me!"

The convoy left their vehicles in the traffic jam and continued their escape, racing against time and outrunning their pursuers as they brought the VIP back to the safe house. They took a shortcut that brought them away from the road congestion, a shortcut that soon brought them to a quiet alley. "Stay alert, everyone. They could be anywhere," the chief guard spoke and rearmed himself. "Ma'am, I suggest that you stick close to the VIP. You're our last hope in case anyone of us goes down."

"Yeah, right," Sion grumbled and pulled the VIP towards her. "You heard him, sir. Whatever happens, don't get separated-" No sooner she said that to the VIP the convoy got ambushed. The bodyguards opened fire, providing cover for the VIP as he was pulled out of danger. The escapees entered another shortcut that linked the alley to the main street, and as they were a couple of inches away to safety…

_An eagle screech._

_A hooded man._

And the escapees stopped dead on track.

"Who the hell?"

The hooded man pounced. The chief guard reacted, but was not quick enough to protect the VIP as the hooded figure disarmed him and knocked him out cold. The chief guard dropped onto the ground, and the hooded man turned around. Sion withdrew her handgun but her hands were shaking so violently she could not take proper aim. The hooded man approached her, unfazed by the warning she was issuing. She finally managed to take aim, but the hooded man already stood beside her, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

She suddenly realized.

_This man perfectly matched the description of the wanted terrorist._

_Except that his attire was all-white, not black-gold._

_And underneath the hoodie, there was a smile._

"It is not you who I'm after," he uttered in a calm tone. Before she could say anything, the hooded man gently pushed her aside and approached the VIP. The SPHERE representative attempted to escape, only to freeze in his place as the hooded figure clenched his neck, denying him of any movement. His free hand unbuttoned the VIP's coat, and out of it a cross dangled in plain sight.

"I have found you."

There was a click.

"Requiescat in Pace."

And then…

Silence.

_Only silence…_

That was the last thing she could remember before she passed out. She shook her head out of agony, trying to get the aching pain away from her. It was fortunate that she and the head guard were spared, although the same could not be said of the VIP. As soon as she opened her eyes, the VIP already laid on the ground with an exit wound on his forehead. An execution, she muttered, but she could not understand why the VIP was the target.

"I… I should get back to the library…" She excused herself and left the crime scene, declining the police's offer to escort her. As she was walking into a bazaar, she overhead a conversation between two police officers, and paused to listen close. One of them was mentioning the word 'assassins' while his partner commented that 'assassins don't exist in modern society anymore'. She dismissed the conversation and continued walking; her mind was too convoluted to even analyse anything, and she wanted to call it a day.

Then she spotted something.

_White hoodie._

Wasn't that…

Ignoring the commotion around her, she chased after the hooded person, but he seemed to realize her intention as he blended in the crowd. "Like that concealing technique will ever beat me," Sion uttered and followed the hooded man. "Too bad, because Cairo lives in my blood vein!"

…

…

…

After what seemed to be an intense obstacle course that brought Sion across the streets (she did not understand why she had to chase the hooded man while _free-running_ on the rooftops) the pursuit led her to a warehouse. She yelled at the hooded person as she was finally able to catch up, but was excruciatingly exhausted from the free-running that she was barely able to stand up. "You…" Her breaths were hoarse. "Who are you? Why are you targeting the VIP? What is your motive?" she demanded.

The hooded man turned around. Only his smile was visible, and even so she could barely identify him due to the dimly lit warehouse. "What do you want to know about me?" he asked.

"…I…" Her tongue was shackled. She didn't understand why she asked the question in the first place.

He shook his head gently. "If you don't have any business with me, this meeting ends here." He lifted his hand. "If you still insist to know, however…" In a flash, she saw what looked like a group of similarly dressed up people standing behind the hooded man, and they were staring at her intimidatingly. "Well?"

"W…who really are you?" she asked, frightened but unnerved by their sudden appearance.

"We are brothers," the hooded man spoke. _"And brothers always look for one another."_

-x-x-x-x-

**[[extra section; that's Omake for you nerds out there]]**

**Location**: Satellite Ice Café  
**Date**: who knows~

Night time. Almost all of the patrons had already returned to their respective places, while some who didn't stay chose to spend their night at nearby hotel. The only people present were night visitors and night-shift workers, and even so business was not as booming as it usually was in daytime. Even the author was feeling in the blues, and already he had thought of sleeping outdoors, accompanied by the stars and the moon as he contemplated on the fate of the world his hands had forged.

The door was opened. Everybody turned around, and the mood quickly shifted as all eyes squinted at the cat-thing creature. The creature ignored the attention and strode calmly towards the table the author was seated, and jumped onto it. The author paid it no attention as he was busy eating the last piece of cheesecake he had ordered earlier; even he paid no attention to the crowd who was glaring at the creature.

"Busy gorging yourself with the delicious cake, Mister Lone Wolf?"

The author put down the now-empty plate. "You tell me, Kyubey," he addressed the creature by its name. "At least this cake isn't a lie. What brought you here?"

"Nothing very much, I thought I could take a break from travelling across multiple dimensions," Kyubey answered. "The Incubators are quite busy these days; I didn't even get the chance to make a contact with them."

"Go figure," the author answered.

"So…" Kyubey looked around the café, seemingly amused by the myriad of customers. "A place where people from all across the known universes can sit down and relax, hmm? As expected from the author of this premise."

"Don't get too Meta, Kyubey. Some people don't like it when we get too Meta," the author warned.

Kyubey faked a disgusted look. "Oh, Mister Lone Wolf, don't be too shy and just admit it," it spoke. "But I must say, you created this universe… years before you even knew the existence of TV Tropes." It walked closer until its face was an inch away from the author's face. "You know, Mister Lone Wolf, you could visit _the_ Pantheon and ask the residents around. You may find some of the interesting people-" Its words were cut off when the author withdrew his dagger and pointed it at its face. "Not interested, aren't we?"

"I don't think the Pantheon will welcome my presence warmly," he answered. "And why are you addressing me formally?"

"Because I can?" Kyubey replied.

"Bah, whatever. I don't want to think about it too much," the author said and sheathed back his dagger. "If you want to comment about how my world works, go ahead. I'm too tired, I need to sleep."

"Whatever you say, Mister Lone Wolf," Kyubey answered, its smile remained as static as usual. "I guess I'm going to have fun wandering around the Heart of Melting Blood universe~" it said and jumped off the table.

"By the way, Kyubey."

The Incubator turned to him. "Yes? What is it, Mister Lone Wolf?"

"If I ever see anyone of the girls go mogu-mogu on Hikki," he said. "I'll tie you up on an ICBM and launch it into space. Then I'll detonate its 100-megaton payload and watch you turn into smithereens." The threat was delivered in such simple, monotonous, almost boring way, but it managed to make Kyubey shiver in fear. "And then I'll repeat the procedure, again and again, until I've lost count on how many times you died, until I run out of tea."

"…maybe I can offer him contract for a harem?" Kyubey suggested, even as its face was profusely sweating.

"Well, trying telling that to the band of half-human/half-ghost gardener, wanderer swordswoman, Miko Miko Imotou with grade-S Zettai Ryouiki, and ghostly maternal figure," the author continued. "I won't be responsible if your life suffers in their presence. Oh, and one more thing."

"What is it?"

"If Mami dies under my watch, I'll make sure you wish you'd never showed up here," he said.

Kyubey tilted its head; this time, it was genuinely confused. "Et tu…"

"…I like Mami, so I may end up biased when it comes to her welfare." The remark caused the entire café to fall into a very awkward silence, and he nervously looked at each and every one of the patrons around him. "What?"

"I think Lone Wolf likes Mami because of her mammies," one of the customers whispered audibly.

"Oh, don't be silly, not every man likes a woman for her chest," her partner corrected.

_(Somewhere, Mami sneezed. "Et tu…")_

"Well, you heard me," he uttered. "I don't care what you're going to do with the contracts you gathered, but remember my words and carve them on the back of your head. Now, if you'll excuse me for a while…" He left his table, along with some cash to pay the bill, and headed for the door. "Oh, before I forget." He returned to Kyubey, picked the creature by it ears and then, out of the blue, impaled it on a wall with a papier-mâché Gungnir. "That's for 'murdering' Mami in episode 3."

"…Mister Lone Wolf, I could not prevent that from happening," Kyubey reasoned in platonic voice in spite of its impaled body.

"I know that already," the author responded and pulled Gungnir out of the wall, letting Kyubey slide slowly to the floor. "Just finding an excuse to kick your ass."

-x-x-x-x-

**Author's note**: featured series in this chapter are Guilty Gear, Assassin's Creed and Madoka Magica. And yes, this lone wolf likes Mami for more than her mammies, go figure. Besides, being an author is surely suffering; Madoka knows, go ask her.


	14. How Do You Like Them Apple?

**CHAPTER 13  
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLE?**

**Note: **this chapter contains the violation of canon and common sense, as well as extensive abuse of retcon and alternate timeline. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. Also, please be advised that despite what the title says, there is no apple. _The apple is a lie_. So is the cake. Except cheesecake, maybe, but it's a cake, therefore it's also a lie.

There's a nice cameo at the end of this chapter. Please check it out.

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Order of Assassin's headquarters, somewhere in Egypt.  
**Date**: present day.

"What's the report of the tournament?"

"From what our friends on the streets have gathered, the last phase is due to be completed in a week," the assassin spoke. "Also, thanks to our efforts, the Spherians have not managed to have the Atlasian Society sign the treaty. They will certainly try again in the future, though, so we have to be prepared for that."

"We don't have much time to waste," the grandmaster uttered and turned to Alexander. "Brother, we know it's too much of a request, but we'd like you to enter the tournament on our behest. That way, it's better for us to monitor their movement without raising their suspicion. Plus, you could do some workout with the honourable warriors."

Alexander nodded. "I will not disappoint you, grand master."

"The assassins have monitored the Sphere's movement in Egypt for a few years already," the grandmaster said and turned his attention to the wall-mounted map. "With the GDI and NOD fighting over what's left of their territory in the Sahara, and armed interventions being carried around the Mediterranean by both Celestial Beings and MITHRIL, we've found ourselves running out of hands to take on everything."

There was a slight pause, before he continued: "however, we're grateful to have Section 13 and the MI6 providing intelligence and logistics to our operation. Remember our motto, brothers."

"_Nothing is true, everything is permitted," _Alexander uttered.

The grand master smiled and gave his shoulder a few pats. "Alex, you're always welcome in the order. Like how your late wife had had accepted you for who you were in the past, we'll always accept you for who you are now."

"Thank you, grand master," Alex spoke. He looked back at the map. "Tournament, isn't it? It's been a long time since I last entered one. When am I expected to participate in it?"

"As soon as we've gathered enough information, we'll give you the green light," the grandmaster answered. "After which, you're free to do whatever that pleases you. For now, you'll just have to wait."

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: the Middle East  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: many, many years ago~

"Where are you taking me?"

"Patience, you will get your chance," the purple lady answered. "Besides, it's not every day we get the chance to walk the walk and talk the talk, right?"

The question confused him as he uttered, "I do not understand your intent. Moreover, what is this place?"

The purple lady chuckled. "Alexander Belmont-Hahn, have you not heard of Masyaf?" she asked, even as the unlikely pair stopped to take a break near the arc. "As the descendant of the Belmont clan who had trained under the assassins, surely they didn't teach you about this place a couple of times, hmm?"

"I'm sorry, but they wouldn't share even one word about their origin," he answered.

"Ah, understandable," the purple lady acknowledged. She closed her fan and pointed to the abandoned castle that towered above the barren landscape. "See that stronghold? That's where all assassins in their heydays aspired to be in, to be as close to the legendary master assassin."

"Altair."

The purple lady batted an eyebrow. "So you do know!" she uttered in faked surprise. "Jeez, you could have told me earlier! I just wasted my precious time taking you here…" She conjured a gap beside her head, and he watched in intrigue as a peach dropped out of the eldritch matter and landed onto her palm. "Do you want some?"

Despite the unwanted exchange, he and the purple lady continued their journey, occasionally taking a few stops to check the barren environment. Finally they reached their destination, and immediately he cringed over an uneasy sensation tingling inside him. "This place is infested," he uttered. "The ripe stench of evil… it irritates me."

"And you're the only one with the ability to clean it," the purple lady told him. "Go to the main chamber. You will find the one responsible for this mess." Putting her palm on the entrance door, she gently pushed the gigantic structure, and it opened with a loud creak that almost deafened the assassin. "You need to vent off all your anger and frustrations, letting them go for good," she spoke, even as they were greeted with the sight of monsters prowling about the main hall. "Years of having to endure your employers' insult and prejudice must have done something to your judgment, right?"

"I do not have time for this nonsense!" he cried out and swung the morning star sideway, knocking several skeleton guards out of the way. "Moreover, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Oh, why are you asking me in a sudden?" the purple lady replied. "Just go to the main chamber and see for yourself!" She summoned a gap and walked in, waving at the assassin who was appalled by her escape. "I'll see you on the far side. Toodles~"

"Goddamn it, whoever that woman is supposed to be!" he barked and jumped over a group of zombies. "To the main chamber, eh? Well, then!"

He finally arrived. He could barely manage to breath, what with having to storm the castle on his own and without any knowledge of the thing that would await him at the end of the road. He did not care; all that mattered to him was to walk into the main chamber, faced the responsible culprit, and demanded for answers to many questions that had plagued him ever since.

He pushed the door. It opened, and he slowly walked into the main chamber. There was a throne, and seated upon it was a person with a wineglass on his right hand and a skull on his left hand. He frowned; he recognized the person very much.

"You…" he murmured. "You're Dracula."

"Ah, hah! Another vampire hunter has come to entertain me!" The person rose from his throne and spun on his feet, his crimson cape flapping in all its glory in spite of the lack of wind. To add more flavour to his flamboyance, as soon as his face was revealed the full moon appeared behind the window, painted deep crimson red. "Come, my enemy! Show me your moves."

"I'm not a vampire hunter," Alex answered. "I seek for answers to my many questions."

"Hmm? What is this?" Dracula stared at Alex, his towering figure almost overshadowing the former knight by several feet. It did not take the vampire lord very long before he broke out into an uncontrollable, always demonic laugh. "Of course! You are the vampire hunter-assassin-knight-whatever they want to call these days!" He sported a devilish smile, which was enough to rip anyone out of their will. "I see… you're the Belmont my Yakumo friend had informed me. You're one… _interesting_ human. Very interesting. How did you come to know my name?"

"When I served the Holy Order, your name was on our top priority list." He grabbed the hilt of the morning star and opened a battle stance. His eyes were fiercely fixed upon the evil overlord, as if he was ready to pounce at Dracula. "I didn't come here on their behest, and I don't care if you assume that I do. Tell me everything you know about my bloodline."

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Dracula said while he wagged a finger. "You'd expect me to give you the answer for free, wouldn't you?" He took a sip of the wineglass' content. "Red wine. A vampire lord's preferred beverage. Do you drink wine?"

"I prefer tea, thank you," he answered.

"I see." He sighed. "How stupendously _disappointing_. I had been given the permission to use this abandoned castle as my lair, reassembled my army of darkness, and sat in this chamber for years, years and **years,** waiting for someone to kick the door open with all the glory of a Belmont." He sipped the red wine. "Instead, I have to greet a cold, emotionless but apparently confused assassin who has no respect for dynamic entry? What kind of nonsense is this!?"

"What do you expect from me?"

Dracula pointed at him. "The vivid aroma of the Belmont blood is very strong," he spoke. "And the morning star you're carrying? That's the Vampire Killer, the only weapon that can give my kind a run for its money." The vampire lord clenched his hands into a fist. "No one but a Belmont can use the Vampire Killer to its full potential. Those who dare… they will find themselves drained off their life energy." He struck another of his 'fabulous' poses, even as he drinking from the wineglass. "Bah, I can't believe I'm the one doing the exposition for your sake. Man really is a miserable little pile of secrets! I missed the old days…"

"I do not have time for your bickering." Alex opened his fighting stance. "Looks like I have to fight for the answer."

"Of course! What do you expect from an evil vampire overlord like me?" Dracula asked and smashed the wineglass into the floor. "But enough talk! Have at you!"

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: somewhere in the empty streets of Cairo.  
**Date**: present day.

He was back on the streets, donning one of his many disguises for the purpose of concealment. He had many days to spare before the order completed its investigation, and decided to wander around, gathering as much information about the tournament from his allies as he could. He had all the time in the world, as the grandmaster told him, and he needed not to worry about minor setbacks he might encounter.

His mind flew back to his first meeting with the Atlasian librarian. For some reason, the girl's refusal to back down even when she was outnumbered by his brethren fascinated him. He wondered if he could meet the girl again under other circumstances…

Something caught the attention of his eagle eye. He followed the silhouette, pushing several bystanders aside, and headed to an empty corner of the market. The silhouette continued walking calmly, despite the fact that he was being followed. The pursuit ended when he finally had the person cornered, and he wasted no time grabbing the hood that was covering the person's head.

"A robot?" he exclaimed. "You're not Ky. Who are you?"

"Ky? You don't be talking about Ky Kiske, do you?" The humanoid robot gently pushed him away and dusted his coat. "Easy now; it's somewhat strange for you to have mistaken me with that chew toy. Maybe I should get rid of this Holy Knight uniform for good."

"AI! Robo-Ky knows no fear and knows to kick ass!" Sumomo cheered. "And let's do the fight mantra on my count! Kick, punch, it's all in the mind!"

"Robo-Ky?" Alex pronounced the name carefully. "Are you here for the tournament, too?"

"Oh? What kind of tournament? Does it involve kick and punch, too?" Sumomo asked excitedly. "Robo-Ky should join, because he could kick ass with his strength!" She, later, sulked. "Though I kind of miss Robo-Ky's old attitude when we first met."

"Tournament? That sounds interesting," Robo-Ky said.

"Then are you joining?" Alex asked.

"Kind of," the humanoid robot answered. "But there's something else that prompts me to visit the land of the prophets." Just as he finished his words the quiet street became crowded when agents in black suit and mask surrounded the unlikely duo.

"I didn't come all the way to Egypt to have my ass handed down," Alex uttered and whipped out his hidden blades. He spotted several monsters among the men in black, and he frowned in disgust. "I don't remember reading about them at the library… who are they?"

"Great Shocker … to see them crossing over the multiple universes and actively cooperating with each universe's evil organization… _fascinating."_ Robo-Ky took out an item and lifted it near his face. "Good thing I know how to take care of this threat."

"Oh! I know that!" Sumomo exclaimed as soon as the item was revealed: it was a transformation belt. "Let's go, Robo-Ky! Show them months of training with them are worth the blood and guts we spilled!"

"Indeed." Robo-Ky attached the belt around his waist and thrust his right arm to the upper left, a motion that was gratuitously imitated by his mini companion. "Let's do this, Sumomo. Henshin!"

For a moment, there was a deafening roar that took the entire streets by surprise. Then, Alex and the agents were pushed away from Robo-Ky by a sudden burst of energy that also engulfed the robot knight. When it was over, it was not the metallic impersonation of Ky Kiske like anyone would have expected.

"How… and when?" Alex asked, genuinely confused by the turn of event.

"It's a long story," Robo-Ky answered as he reappeared in a gold/black armour suit. Even his robotic head was concealed inside a bee-shaped helmet, suggesting that he had transformed into something entirely different. "Right now, let's take care of this immediate threat," he continued and turned his attention to the men in black.

"Kamen Rider Momo!" Sumomo announced; she, too, donned the same attire as Robo-Ky's but with its colour swapped to pink.

"I am Kamen Rider Hibachi, and I exist to protect everyone's right to smile." With his red scarf flapping flamboyantly even in the absence of wind, the newly transformed warrior spun on his feet and pointed at the agents.

"_Get yourself ready. You are about to get stung." _

-x-x-x-x-x-

**[[OMAKE SECTION… **_**please!**_**]]**

**Location**: New Kuradoberi Restaurant, Shanghai  
**Time**: present day… or is it?

"You say what?" Hibiki asked between her laughs.

"…well, yeah, I figured out I could give them the spotlight after all these years of writing," he answered as the couple was waiting for their takeaway order. "…I kind of want to pay a tribute to my childhood heroes."

"I know that, but still… Kamen Rider?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It would be nice to have them appearing in this universe, even though just for cameo." He shook his shoulders when Hibiki and the cashier were staring at him strangely due to the answer. "In other words, it's not Yukari's fault**. ****It's all Decade's fault**."

Somewhere in another alternate universe, Tsukasa Kadoya was getting ready to transform when he suddenly sneezed. "Told you, the Lone Wolf Effect would extend to us," Yuusuke Onodera said.

"Shut up, you," Tsukasa retorted.

"So… World of Heart and Melting Blood is next?" Natsumi Hikari asked in a guessing tone.

"You can worry about it later. Right now," Tsukasa uttered and turned his attention to a giant floating head. "I have no idea why we have to deal with that clown head."

"Hey, it's your fault that we got pulled into their war," Kaito Daiki sneered.

Charlotte, who was angry that she could not finish off her prey, snarled and turned to her new prospective meal. The trio remained calm, even as Mami and the rest of the magical girls made haste to cover. "I… am… not… a… CLOWN!" Charlotte roared and pounced at the trio.

"Whatever." He took out his transformation card; the gesture was followed by Yuusuke doing a pose, Natsumi bringing out Kivala, and Daiki whipping out the Diend Driver. "Let's do what we all do best. Henshin!"

**[[KAMEN RIDE.]]**

"Henshin!" Yuusuke shouted next.

"Henshin!" Natsumi uttered the magical word.

"Henshin!" and so was Daiki.

**[[DECADE!/DIEND!]]**

The transformation sequence took everyone by surprise, more so for Charlotte since the resulting shockwave knocked her away from the trio, therefore ruining her chance for dinner. "Who… who the hell are you?!" the Witch screamed.

"I'm just a Kamen Rider passing by," Decade answered. "Remember that!"

"Whoa, Kamen Riders!" a confused, but thoroughly excited Madoka exclaimed. "Hey, Homu-homu, do you think we can become Kamen Riders?"

"I have no idea, Madoka," the equally confused Homura answered. _"I have no idea."_

He blinked. "Welp, let's hope someone doesn't take the initiative and start writing already." He suddenly became distant, his voice trailing off as he was looking outside the window. "Even though it would be fun to see a Puella Magica and Kamen Rider crossover. Mmm, Mami in Rider suit…"

"That look…" Hibiki uttered. She giggled and poked him on the nose. "I know that look. Someone has the inspiration to write such crossover down." She leaned closer until her face was an inch away from his, and smiled. _"Right?"_

"But this one is too lazy to even get started," he answered with a pout. "And this one would really like it if you stop making fun of this one's face. This one finds such behaviour unfitting for an elegant female specimen."

"Now you're speaking like a Hanar," the young woman said. "You're even cuter~"

"Come on, let's head back to Satellite Ice Café," he uttered. "I kind of missed their iced tea already."


	15. Henshin! Legacy of Riders

"_The train of time, DenLiner. Will its next stop be the past? The future?"_

**HEART OF MELTING BLOOD  
A NEW CHRONICLE**

**Disclaimer: **this chapter contains the violation of canon and common sense, as well as extensive abuse of retcon and alternate timeline. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. Please take note that Kamen Rider, Megaman Zero, Guilty Gear, Assassin's Creed and Donpachi are the properties of TOEI Company, CAPCOM, Arc System Works Ubisoft and CAVE. Also take note that the flashback occurred prior to the current event in **the World Within and Without**_,_ courtesy of Sheo Darren. If there are conflicting information between his story and this story, consult both authors.

Last but not least, the cake is a lie. Again.

-x-x-x-x-

**CHAPTER 14  
HENSHIN! LEGACY OF RIDERS**

**Location**: PWAB secret laboratory.  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: many, many years ago.

It was a scene taken straight from classic horror movie.

Everywhere in the old tower one could see nothing but strange gadgets and structures dotting the dull, dusted floor; Contraptions that were vibrating with lives as electricity ran through them, gauges and light bulbs decorating many cabinets, and skeletons hanging on the wall. All were an indication that only a person with twisted mind would work here, let alone making it home.

At the tower's topmost floor, there stood a scientist. He was walking back and forth between a surgical table and a transformer, and his shoddy appearance suggested he had worked nonstop on a secret project. His amber eyes were burning in anticipation, his hands were twitching, and his breathing was as hoarse as someone who had completed a marathon. Lying on the table was a humanoid, fully dressed up in Holy Order uniform, and it bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain knight of the order.

"Now!" the scientist bellowed and threw his hand up to the ceiling. "Ten thousand volts of life energy!" In an instant a lightning struck the tower's conductor, and a massive electrical surge flowed down the copper line and into power spikes connected to the table. The humanoid trembled as it was zapped with electricity, then its eyes began to glow as it slowly entered activation phase.

"It's alive…" The scientist cackled, slow at first before it became loud. "Yes! It's alive! It's Alive! **IT'S ALIIIIVEEEE!"** he hollered in the loudest voice anyone could muster."Now I understand how it feels to be a god!"

Slowly the humanoid rose from the makeshift bed and assumed a sitting position, all while the scientist was shouting "rise, my perfect creation! Rise!" Mechanical noises could be heard as it began moving its limbs and joints, then it turned its head towards the scientist.

"Identification of living being inconclusive," the humanoid spoke. "An inquiry is imminent: _are you my master?"_

The scientist laughed again. "Behold, the next stage in the creation of life!" he declared and threw his arms dramatically. If there were an audience, he would have been greeted with applauds and cheers, but he knew better. He coughed and turned around, facing the humanoid. "Yes, I am your master. I have brought you to this world, with a purpose, and to serve a purpose," he answered. "But first, you must acquire a name!" Again he threw off his arms in a dramatic pose and pointed at the humanoid. "I shall christen you… Robo-Ky!"

"Robo-Ky?" The humanoid shivered and jolted. Strange noises came out of its body as it was registering the name into its database. It took a while before the humanoid stopped convulsing, and it calmed down after a few seconds. "Data procession complete. Registration of name Robo-Ky complete. What is your bidding, my master?"

* * *

**Location**: Shanghai  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: many years ago.

"Mission completed. Registration of all fighters complete. Returning to base."

Robo-Ky left the smoking remains of Kuradoberi Restaurant behind. The final mission proved to be tougher than it (or "he", as the scientist had insisted) had anticipated, but nevertheless it was successfully accomplished. He did not understand the reason his master assigned him to challenge the fighters, but he had no reasons to question him.

His steps came into a halt. His built-in sensor had detected movement from behind the crates. Anticipating a threat, he immediately withdrew his sword, and he waited as the detected threat began to manifest itself.

_Red armour. Greenish sabre. Blonde ponytail sticking out of the helmet._

"Another Reploid? I guess not."

"The legendary Reploid of the Maverick War, Zero," Robo-Ky uttered as the owner of the blonde ponytail was identified. "According to the bureau's intelligence division, you were supposed to have perished in the last Maverick War."

"Guess the report was a lie, then," the Reploid named Zero answered.

"What is the purpose behind your presence? This area is off-limit to outsiders, and you are not an exception," Robo-Ky spoke.

"Nothing, I thought I could give you some pro-tip of a conflict ahead of us," Zero answered again. "I'm a bit disturbed to see another self-conscious robot in this part of the world, though."

"Analysis of your speech is inconclusive," Robo-Ky uttered.

"Maybe not too self-conscious," Zero shrugged.

"On what purpose you are here?" Robo-Ky asked, even as he was slowly bringing his sword forward.

"I don't care if you're involved in the Maverick War, and I don't give a damn if you are." Zero lifted the greenish sabre close to his face and slowly opened a stance. "I sense a warrior spirit from within you, and that alone is enough."

"I advise you to drop your weapon," Robo-Ky spoke.

"When my opponent is not doing the same?" Zero replied.

"Enough talk, have at you!" Robo-Ky and Zero dashed toward each other, swords aimed at each other's face. _Then their swords clashed, and the rest was history…_

* * *

**Location**: somewhere in rural Japan.  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: a few days after the duel of fate…

Robo-Ky was on a reconnaissance mission. There was a report on the sighting of **Sacred Hegemony of Cycle Kindred Evolutional Realm**, or **Shocker**, near what used to be Seto Sea, and the lack of personnel meant that Robo-Ky was the only available unit to carry out the mission. Information about Shocker was scant, but he was informed that they were a secret organization that had arrived from another dimension to set up their base in the world.

As he was observing the area from atop of an abandoned tower, his memory bank rewound back to the night he encountered the legendary Reploid. In the ensuing fight that was ended in an uncertain draw, they had clashed swords, exchanged fists, parried kicks, shot countless projectiles – guided and unguided alike – and they even had used the advantage of high ground, yet for some reason neither of their attacks actually landed on one another. He knew that both he and his opponent were fighting in full strength, and yet he suspected that an outside force was influencing the outcome of the duel; it was almost as if someone or something would not allow him to lose…

Right now, there was a problem that required immediate addressing as Robo-Ky was confronting an eye-patched army officer. "You must be _the _#R unit," he spoke. "How fascinating."

"What do you acquire?" Robo-Ky asked.

"I shall get straight to point, #R unit," the army officer spoke. "Come with us. We, the Great Shocker, will make you stronger than before. Unlike your PWAB master, we have better resource and greater knowledge to achieve such feat."

"I refuse," Robo-Ky answered. "My analysis shows that your words are full of lie and deceit. I already have dedicated my purpose to the bureau, so your invitation is flatly denied."

The army officer laughed. "What's this? An artificial life trying to defy **ME?"** He spread his arms, and in an instant he was surrounded by his minions. "I will show you the consequences of defying the Great Shocker! Shocker Riders, get him!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he and his minions got pushed by a wavy barrier. Everyone watched as a person walked out of the barrier and stood between him and Robo-Ky. "I doubt anyone would believe that Great Shocker actually survives," the new person uttered.

"You!" the army officer cried and pointed at the person. "The destroyer of worlds! Why are you here?!"

"Oh, fancy meeting you here, Narutaki. What's up?" the person greeted.

"You're not getting away! Get him!"

The person shook his head in amazement. "You'd expect me to show up on my own, wouldn't you?" Another barrier stood between him and Narutaki's minions, and walking out of it was a masked warrior and a red oni. "Well, too bad for you."

"Grandmother once said this: there's only one name you must remember," the masked warrior spoke while pointing skyward. _"Walking the path of Heaven… the man who will rule over all."_

"_Ore… Sanjou!"_ the red oni announced.

"I'll leave them to you, Kabuto, Momotaros," the person spoke and approached Robo-Ky, leaving the masked warriors to kick the minions' butt. "You're going to get seriously owned if you stay. Come with us if you want to survive."

"My mission takes a higher priority than my own survival," Robo-Ky spoke.

"So come with us. You have a bigger mission ahead," the person dubbed 'destroyer of worlds' said. Their conversation was disrupted when a Shocker Rider managed to slip past Momotaros and pounced at them. Robo-Ky pushed the person out of the way and fired his punch at the minion, sending the unfortunate person flying many miles away.

"I am more capable of taking care of multiple enemies. I have been designed and programmed with such fighting style," Robo-Ky uttered and charged at the Shocker Riders. He stopped when his built-in alarm started buzzing wildly and turned his head to the east. A group of mechanical humanoids was descending from the sky, and leading the mechanical army was an individual clad in red Holy Order uniform. Robo-Ky immediately recognized the individual as a Robo-Ky, but it bore such similarities to him that there was only one conclusion.

_An unknown twin unit?_

"UNIT #R, THE BUREAU HAS DECLARED YOU OBSOLETE AND DYSFUNCTIONAL," the red-caped Robo-Ky spoke in an unmistakable robotic voice. "I AM TO CARRY OUT THE ORDER OF THE BUREAU TO SEND YOU TO THE SCRAPYARD, AND THIS ORDER IS TO TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY."

"Can't do that, whatever you are. We need him," the 'destroyer of worlds' said.

"YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED." The red-caped Robo-Ky pointed its Thunderseal replica at Robo-Ky and ordered the MP units to attack. "EXTERMINATE THEM."

"Not if I can help it." The 'destroyer of worlds' stepped forward and took out a card. "Henshin!"

**[KAMEN RIDE: DECADE!]**

The transformation was brief, yet it was enough to knock the MP units out of the way. The 'destroyer of world' had changed look and appearance, and in place of the unassuming-looking individual was a masked warrior unlike any other. "Who are you?" Robo-Ky inquired, baffled by the twist of event that was unfolding before him.

"Just a passing-through Kamen Rider," the 'destroyer of world' answered. "Remember that."

* * *

**Location**: Tokyo, Kamen Rider OOO universe.  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: two weeks after the inter-universe crossing…

Robo-Ky was in utter confusion.

His logic was put into doubt after the fated duel with Zero, he lost contact with headquarters after he got attacked by Great Shocker, he had been unwillingly declared obsolete by the red-caped Robo-Ky, he had his behind saved by 'the destroyer of world' Decade, and now he was invited by none other than the Legendary Seven Riders to an emergency meeting between Riders of all universes. "How come I can only count six?" Robo-Ky asked.

"It's a long story, but yes, we are a part of the seven riders as told in legend," V3 answered. "We summoned you to our universe because we needed your strength."

"Inquiry of explanation is imminent," Robo-Ky spoke.

"We have been fighting Shocker and their allies ever since they existed," Ichigo spoke. "Our task has become more difficult, now that they now have crossed the timeline to get into your universe. You might have fought them before you came here, correct?"

"The world of heart and melting blood…" Robo-Ky uttered. "But why me?"

"First of all, allow me to get this fact straight to your face," Owner said. "A friend of these Riders had approached me and personally requested that I gather all the Riders and travel to his universe to take care of the threat. You would probably know this 'friend' already."

"But we were unable to answer to his call due to our commitment in our own universe," Nigo continued. "So we reluctantly had to turn down the offer for time being."

"Assessment of explanation is not possible," Robo-Ky said. "Simpler words, please?"

"That's why we decided that you will be the Rider of your world," Kamen Rider X said. "I know this is a task almost impossible for a non-human to carry, and I know that not everyone will agree with our decision." He patted Robo-Ky on the shoulder. "But we believe you can do it. You are the only one who's capable of answering the call."

"Of course he can do it," Fourze said, "as long as he believes in the Riders who believe in him! Who the hell does he think he is?"

"They won't let you grab the title and just walk away with it, though. You're going to have your worthiness tested and judged," Owner said while tapping the blunt edge of his walking stick on Robo-Ky's forehead. "And by 'proving your worthiness' I mean they're going to seriously kick your butt."

Robo-Ky stared at Owner. Then at the Riders. Slowly, he lifted his hand and pointed to his face. "No way," he uttered.

"Heh! You heard what he said," Momotaros snorted while he cracked his fists. "Get ready to have your ass handed over."

"In other words: you want to become a Rider? You have to earn your right to become one," Double uttered.

"Come on, Shotaro, you don't have to be that blunt," Double's Cyclone side reminded.

"What's with you, Phillip?! Can't you see I'm motivating him? You're so uninteresting as always," Double's Joker side retorted.

"Anyway, we still have times before they actually become a real threat to his world," Momotaros said and whipped out his DenLiner Pass. "So why don't we get the party started right now?"

* * *

**Location**: somewhere in the Japanese countryside.  
**Event**: flashback.  
**Date**: a few months later.

"_Rider Double Kick!"_

"_V3 Revolving Kick!"_

"_Rope Arm!"_

"_X Kick!"_

"_Super… Daisetsudan!"_

"_Great Spinning… Sky Rider Kick!"_

"_Super Rider Cyclone Kick!"_

"_ZX Kick!"_

"_Rider Punch! Rider Kick!"_

"_Revolcrash!"_

"_Standing By… Complete. Axel Crimson Smash."_

"_Category Five King: Royal Straight Flush!"_

"_MAXIMUM HYPER TYPHOON!"_

"_Finishing move! This is my finishing move… Legendary Version!"_

"_Final Attack Ride: D-D-D-DECADE!"_

"_Joker, Maximum Drive!"_

"_Taka! Tora! Batta! Scanning Charge!"_

"_Rider Rocket Drill Kick!"_

"_Very Nice! Kick Strike… SAIKO!"_

One after another, all the finishing moves made contact, each producing enough strength to level city block, each sending Robo-Ky further and further skyward. The execution of the final attack sent Robo-Ky to the highest point in the sky, and at this point all the Riders jumped over Robo-Ky and combined strength to perform the mother of all Rider Kicks.

"_**ULTIMATE RIDER BREAK!"**_

All attacks connected at the same time, resulting in a spectacular explosion that would have destroyed anything that was unfortunate to come across their path. All the Riders jumped out of the explosion and turned their attention to the inferno, which was slowly dying out and revealing their target: Robo-Ky, assuming a kneeling position, his uniform burnt to crisp, but otherwise was intact. Instead of resentment, however, they nodded in acknowledgment, perhaps because the former PWAB agent had achieved what most would consider impossible.

"He did it." Ichigo and Nigo approached Robo-Ky. "Well done, Robo-Ky. You have passed the ultimate test. Can you stand up?"

"Recovering from battle damage," Robo-Ky reported. "I'm fine. Thank you, Kamen Rider Ichigo."

"Looks like you're ready to join us," Nigo said. "But before that, let us ask you this question: will there be a reason for you to fight, Robo-Ky?"

"A reason?" Robo-Ky asked.

The Double Riders nodded. "One does not simply become a Kamen Rider and fight without knowing his purpose," Ichigo answered. "All of us here have understood our responsibility the moment we put on our mask."

"Take your time to consider this matter deeply, Robo-Ky," Nigo added.

After a long minute of silence, Robo-Ky heaved out a long sigh. "I will fight…" he answered. "I will fight the war, but not as somebody else I'm not supposed to be." He turned to the remaining Riders and clenched his fist. "I will fight this war as myself, as Robo-Ky." He shivered a bit, only because he felt a weird sensation wrapping about his waist. He looked down, and was surprised to see the item.

_It was a transformation belt._

"This is?" Robo-Ky inquired.

"Your desire to protect has manifested itself, it seems," Black RX spoke.

"A bit weird to see that coming from a robot, though," Kiva said.

"Our friend would be very proud to see this if he was here with us," Amazon uttered.

"I'm pretty sure he's already watching us from up there, senior," OOO said.

"Let's go, everyone. Show our apprentice what it takes to be a Kamen Rider," V3 added. "And let this be our farewell gift to Stronger." He turned to Robo-Ky and gave him a nod, a gesture which was quickly imitated by the rest of the Riders. Robo-Ky nodded in return and turned around, facing a massive congregation of mass-production Robo-Kys and Shocker Riders that had appeared out of nowhere.

"One question, though." Robo-Ky wrapped the belt, adjusting it so that it fit comfortably. "Do I need to pose or something?"

"It's your moment to shine, make us proud," Ichigo spoke.

Robo-Ky couldn't help smiling _(if his static face could ever smile)_. "Well, then." He thrust his left arm to the upper right of his head, slowly moved it over his head in an arch, and ended it by thrusting his right arm to the left side of his head.

"**HENSHIN!"**

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Egypt

**Date**: present day

"And that's how it went," Robo-Ky said as he put the empty cup down. "From a robot designed for collecting information about the warriors to a renegade unit escaping his former employer to a Rider entrusted to protect this world."

"Wait, I don't understand," the thoroughly confused Alex uttered.

"Don't worry about it, even I was confused at first," Robo-Ky answered. "So, assassin, tell me everything you know about the tournament. I don't have anything else to do right now, so I thought I could enter it for the sake of sportsmanship."

"What about the first meeting between you and Sumomo?" Alex asked.

Just then the grandmaster appeared in the tearoom. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt your time, brothers, but we have bad news. The Soviet Union has invaded America."

At that instant Alex did a spit-take. "Wait a second. America is under attack?"

"That is impossible," Robo-Ky uttered. "The Americans and the Russians are scheduled to sign the trans-Atlantic peace treaty this afternoon."

"The impossible has become possible," the grandmaster spoke. "Come, Brother Alex. You're summoned to the main hall for an emergency meeting. As for you, our honourable guest," the grandmaster continued and turned to Robo-Ky, "you wouldn't have the time to join us for the meeting, would you?"

"I sense trouble up ahead," Robo-Ky uttered and put down the teacup. "Sumomo, we're going."

"To the Bat Cave, AI!" Sumomo declared.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"**HENSHIN!"**

The belt shuddered, then glowed bright red. A sudden gust of wind enveloped Robo-Ky and formed a miniature tornado, which also knocked the mass-produced Robo-Kys and Shocker Riders out of the way. The mini tornado dissipated, and Robo-Ky reappeared, now covered in gold-black armour plating and donning a bee-shaped helmet. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck, and it seemed to move and flap about on its own even in the absence of wind.

"Wow…" It was all Robo-Ky could mutter as he examined his new form. "This is… how Kamen Rider looks like?"

The Double Riders gave him congratulatory pats on his shoulders. "Congratulations, Robo-Ky, you are officially one of us," Ichigo said.

"Now all you have to do is to give it an appropriate name," Nigo added.

Robo-Ky stared at the Double Riders, and then at the approaching enemy. After a moment of consideration, Robo-Ky nodded. "Hibachi. Kamen Rider… Hibachi."

"Kamen Rider Hibachi? Interesting," Double's Cyclone side spoke. "Taking cue from Donpachi Corp's infamous super weapon, Robo-Ky certainly has a taste for bullet hell."

"Phillip, you've been playing too much vertical shooters," Double's Joker side pointed.

"It's fun, Shotaro. You should give it a try."

"Hibachi? Heh, not a bad name for a newcomer," Den-O said.

"Awesome, another Kamen Rider!" Fourze announced. "Hibachi KITAAAA!"

Robo-Ky/Hibachi paid no attention to the banters and stepped forward to face the enemy. "Get yourself ready," he announced and gave them a pointer. "You are about to get stung."

* * *

Zero threw his gaze into the empty, grey sky. "He's done it," he muttered, almost to himself. "Well, then, there's this Russian invasion I have to worry about after this." He activated his communicator and spoke into its mouthpiece. "Four, this is Zero. Mission accomplished, requesting immediate extraction."

With that said, the legendary Reploid vanished from thin air.

Somewhere, somewhere, a frustrated Narutaki could be heard whimpering "my dream… everything that I've worked so hard to achieve has come to nothing…" Then, he threw his fist into the air and screamed from the top of his lungs:

"**Onore… DIKEIDO!"**

-x-x-x-x-x-

_To Araki Shigeru, a.k.a. Jo Shigeru/Kamen Rider Stronger. Rest in peace._


	16. Interlude: In The Brink of Global War

"_The American thought he could deceive us. When they find that body, all of Russia will cry for war."_

**HEART OF MELTING BLOOD  
A NEW CHRONICLE**

**Disclaimer: **this chapter contains the violation of canon and common sense, as well as extensive abuse of retcon and alternate timeline. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. Also, please take note that Touhou Project, Guilty Gear, Call of Duty, Full Metal Panic, Command & Conquer, Puella Madoka Magica and 300 are the properties of their respective owner.

-x-x-x-x-

**CHAPTER 15  
INTERLUDE: IN THE BRINK OF GLOBAL WAR  
**

-x-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: the White House.  
**Date**: present day.

"Why didn't they let me know a CIA agent was sent into Russia and got killed?!" he barked at his military and political advisors.

"But Mister President, even if you didn't, you could have called it off in the last minutes," one of the generals said.

"That was why I wasn't informed about it AT ALL!" Chipp replied. "Where the hell is Shepherd!? I know he's responsible for this! I want an explanation from him right now!"

"Calm down, sir. He's already ordered the army and marines to set up garrisons along our frontier as we speak."

"What about Vorshevsky?"

"All lines to Moscow are cut off. We can't reach the Kremlin at this time, sir."

"Damn it. He needs to explain to me everything."

It had been less than eight hours since the Zakhaev International Airport massacre. The international community suddenly found itself standing at the edge of global conflict as the Soviet Union unceremoniously declared war on the United States of America, accusing Washington D.C. for funding the so-called "terrorist attack". The timing could not have been worse, as the declaration of war coincided with the King of Fighters tournament held in Egypt, along with other major global events. Even the GDI and NOD stopped fighting and returned to their bases in the Sahara, and every PMC that was scattered around the world decided to play safe by not siding with either country.

A few minutes into the meeting an intelligence officer walked into the office. "This just in. Sixty-five percent of the Eastern Grid has fallen to the Russians."

"They're already here? And why are we still in this goddamn room?!" Chipp shouted. "Get your ass moving, everyone! We've got a country to protect!"

As soon as the last person walked out, Chipp smashed his fists onto the oval table so hard he thought he might break it in half. The prospect of engaging in a war with his would-be ally was unacceptable, but he knew he'd jeopardize the future of his country if he sat down and did nothing.

Benjamin walked in. "Mister President, I suggest that you and your family go to Mount Rushmore. Russian paratroopers have landed near the capital, and it's just a matter of time before they're closing in to the White House."

"Chii and Kenjii! Where are they?"

"They've already been flown out, sir. It's just you who's left." He patted Chipp on the shoulder. "Rest assured. Your family's going to be safe."

"I wish I had never taken the office for the second term, Ben," Chipp groaned. "Prepare the emergency broadcast. I'll personally deliver the war speech."

"Already done, Mister President. They're waiting at your office right now," Benjamin informed.

"And tell Air Force One to divert to the Colony. It's the safest place in the world for my family." Chipp rested his forehead upon his palms, as he was contemplating on the whole situation. "Ben, would you believe me if I told you that Shepherd's probably planning all this behind my back?"

"I wish I could, Mister President. I wish I could."

"Sir, the broadcast's ready," the technician informed as he walked into the meeting room.

Chipp and Benjamin looked at each other. Then, after letting out an anguished sigh, Chipp left the meeting room and returned to his office. All eyes were focused on him as he took his seat and faced the camera, his speech draft lying ready on the table. He remained still, not only because he was waiting for the technician to give the 'go' signal, but also because he realized how everything that he believed was starting to fall apart.

He took a deep breath.

He stared into the camera lens.

Then he began.

"Good morning, citizens of America, man and woman, young and old, children and adult. Today… our Russian ally has turned against us and launched a surprise attack on American soil. Today… is the day we shall forever remember _as the day of infamy_."

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: on-board Tuatha de Danaan.  
**Date**: present day.

"Well, shit."

It was the only words he could spoke, as he and his fellow MITHRIL friends watched the news of Russian forces landing on American shore on television. The atmosphere had never been this tense, and he could actually taste the pressure each crew was facing. "What now?" he asked.

"Our code of conduct states that we must not take side with either one of them," Tessa uttered. "It's very unfortunate that we can't assist the Americans due to our outspoken opinion toward their foreign policy."

"I fear the worst has yet to come, everyone," Mardukas spoke. "Our ally in the Europe reported to us that a large number of Russian tanks have been sighted along EU's eastern border."

"Is there any sign of aggression?" Tessa asked.

"No, there isn't. But still, if I am allowed to speak my mind, I certainly have to give the Russians credits for their audacious plan," Mardukas continued. "Taking their invasion force across the Atlantic straight from the mainland, they must have planned everything from the start."

"Or maybe they're getting assistance from someone else," Kurz suggested.

"I just hope this war won't spread to the rest of the world," Tessa muttered. "Sergeant Sagara, you and your team are to return to your post in Japan. If the Russians decide to invade Japan, then we'll take them face to face." She paused. "Even if we're the last task force remaining on Earth."

"Roger," Sagara replied.

"What about you, Mister Hikki?" she asked.

"I guess I'll do the same," he answered. "It'd be convenient if I can be sent directly to Japan after this."

"You have a sister to look after, correct? I can see the core of your concern," Mardukas said.

"I'll stay with her until the situation improves, but knowing them… I'll be glad if they don't assign me to prod at hornet's nest."

As the command room slowly emptied, save for several intelligence officers who remained on station, he and Tessa continued watching the live broadcast of the Russo-American war. "Listen, Tessa, I know you're worried about maintaining peace and order, and to be honest, I too am worried," he said. "Who knows when they start knocking on the door?"

"Y-yes, that's correct, Mister Hikki," she answered.

"That doesn't mean you can't be optimistic about protecting peace it, does it?" he continued. "Mommy once said this: be positive in the face of hardships, for there will always be a way out."

After a long time of silence, finally Tessa let out a hearty chuckle, followed by a deep sigh. "You're right. I can't let the war trouble my judgment? I'm the highest commander of MITHRIL, of course I hold the key to stop them from killing each other," she said.

"Hold out your hand for me." The request got her confused, but she did what she was told to. He put one of his spellcards on her palm and clenched her hand around it. "I know you and your organization are more than capable to end the war on your own, but if you find yourself at a dead end, you know who's to seek. Consider this… a help from your close friend."

Tessa picked the card, closely examining it in full interest. She put it inside her pocket, turned back to Hikki, and smiled. "Thank you, Mister Hikki. I will always remember this offer."

-x-x-x-x-

How could it be possible, if one may ask?

To be able to conduct such invasion from a great distance, beyond the capacity of any well-equipped and prepared military force, would be a monumental task even for the Russians. Anyone would not believe the Soviet Red Army could do the impossible, but they did. Cities after cities along the Eastern Board fell to Russia's well-coordinated two-prong attack, carried out in such speed that would make the mastermind behind the Blitzkrieg proud. Everyone was holding their breath as the drama unfolded before their eyes, and as brave men and women of the army, navy, air force and marines were deployed to defend their homeland, one could only wonder if the Russians were getting help from an… _otherworldly ally._

"Well, everything went all according to plan," the purple lady spoke as she and her assistant were standing on top of a gulag's watchtower. "Though I never expected the Russians to go as far as invading America. Hmm, I wonder if I should stop assisting them~"

"Miss Yukari, are you sure you're doing the right thing? I mean, if he founds out about this, he won't certainly forgive you," the nine-tailed fox woman spoke in concern.

"That's his problem, Ran, not mine," she answered. "Besides, I am _chaotic neutral,_ I can do whatever the heck I want to~"

"But providing instant shortcut for the invasion force? You're clearly playing a dangerous game of chess, you know."

"A _very_ dangerous game of chess," she corrected. "But consider this: warmongers on both sides passionately hate each other, and they want their hunger for war fulfilled. It's only natural that I serve them the best gourmet they've ever had, the crème de la crème of the culinary world."

"But you're not going to let them have it for free." The scene suddenly changed, as the two persons were now inside the gulag, near an unmarked prison cell, and yet neither of them noticed the change as the conversation continued.

"Correct-o! I wouldn't mind a late payment, so long as the interests are stacked up." Her grin suddenly turned malicious. "If he wants to be involved in this gambit, it's his choice. Rather… he _must_ be involved. It's a part of his self-discovery journey, after all." She turned her attention to a shabby-looking person locked inside the cell. "Isn't that right, Prisoner 627?"

For a while, the person designated 'Prisoner 627' glared at his unwanted visitor, never budging from his sitting position even an inch. Then, with a huff of breath that was both hostile and disdained, he spoke. "I'll let you know that I'll personally find you and cut your throat after I leave this wretched hive," he growled.

"Oh, no, you're scaring me. You should save your anger for your archenemy," she said in mocking tone. "I'm standing on the fence, sir. There's nothing you can do about it. Well, even if you do, where's the fun in that?"

"Bloody woman, you're probably doing this for shit and giggles," Prisoner 627 spoke.

"Perhaps," she answered. "But at least, you should be thankful that I've been keeping you company for… how many years? Silly me, I tend to forget."

"Miss Ran, you're not helpful," her assistant reminded.

"I wish I am this helpful, Ran, but alas! Poor Yorik always has his soul – not to mention his skull - crushed into smithereens," she blared dramatically.

"What do you want this time, woman?" Prisoner 627 asked.

"Nothing. I thought I could give an old fellow a quick visit," she answered. "Well, I know for sure they'll pull your precious butt out of this place, so enjoy your remaining time in this gulag while you're can." She turned to her assistant. "Let's go, Ran. I want to see how my plan's working on _their side."_

Both the women vanished in thin air, and the prison fell quiet, leaving Prisoner 627 alone in his cell. Quietly he stared at the grilled door that was separating him from freedom. He growled deeply, almost as if he was going to pounce at anyone who would dare approaching the door. Even the prison wardens, kept their distance from the former member of the Special Air Service, for they were well aware of how capable this individual could be even under restrain.

His mind flew back several years. His service for the Queen and country was nothing to be laughed at, as his protégé and best team-mate had attested. He was the source of inspiration and envy for the Russian loyalists whom he had worked with, and he even gained begrudging respect from the Ultranationalists during the Russian civil war. He had nothing to be proud of; so long as he could keep on fighting, he would keep on fighting even if it would take him deep into Hell itself.

Yet nothing could compare to his one-of-a-kind meeting with the young bounty hunter whose path happened to cross over with his. He had heard of his feats, but never had the chance to personally witness his full potential. It was during his vacation in South America that he would earn the opportunity, when the motel he was lodging in was caught in the middle of a shootout between GDI and NOD forces…

* * *

**Location: **somewhere in South America.  
**Date: **six month prior to Operation Kingfish.

He was angry. He was completely angry.

While John Price knew the GDI was fighting hard to drive NOD militias away from the small town, he was also furious over their refusal to evacuate these stranded tourists, never mind if he was himself rescued or not. He started to wonder if he made the right decision of retiring from service and taking vacation trip to South America. He could imagine the face of his niece as she was scolding him for total disregard of his own safety.

His monologue was disrupted when a stray RPG exploded near the window. One of the tourists who happened to stand near the window got hit by shrapnel. He ordered her partners to drag her away from the window, while he ushered the rest of the tourists to makeshift bunker made from tables and wood cabinets. Her injury was grave, and she was in a state of shock due to blood loss. Unless she was brought to immediate medical attention, she would die, and he could not allow that to happen.

He quickly mobilized the tourists. "Find some rugs and fastening belts! You go find first-aid box, they have to be somewhere around! Once we have her on stretcher, we'll leave this motel through the backdoor!" The building shook once again, but this time the entire front collapsed, almost burying the bunker. "Bloody hell! There has to be a way to make them stop!"

The gunfire suddenly stopped. Price and the tourists stayed in complete silence, completely taken back by the unexpected development. The SAS veteran peeked out of cover, and saw a person clad in trench coat facing NOD militias. "Hey, guys. Spare the poor tourists… will you?" he heard the person telling them.

"You! Which side are you on!" the NOD militias shouted.

"Whoever's willing to pay me the highest," he answered. "Now, as I said, let them leave, and I'll let you cut the GDI's throats as you wish."

"For Kane!" The militias charged at the lone person, who seemed to ditch his safety as he was fiddling with a piece of card. What the hell he's doing, Price's mind screamed, and he was about to yell at the person when he noticed the card disintegrating in his hand.

"You never want to listen, do you?" the person spoke, even as the card broke into piece and reformed into a gap. He stuck his hand inside the gap and withdrew a sentry turret, then tossed it at the militias. "That should keep you busy for a while." He left the militias and approached the bunker. "Captain Price? I've heard rumours about you. Never thought to actually meet you in person, though."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Price asked.

"Just an ordinary bounty hunter," the young man replied and opened up another gap. "We need to send everyone out of here. Step inside, I'll cover you." He frowned when he noticed the tourists refusing to walk into the otherworldly apparition. "Well, do you want to be shredded into pieces in this warzone?" One after another, the tourists were ushered into the gap that would take them far and away from the battleground. Once the last tourist was evacuated, the gap closed, and the man in trench coat focused his attention on the militias. "Now we're talking," he uttered and whipped out his P90.

"You're going to treat war as a game? You better order your own coffin after this," Price uttered as he was given an assault rifle.

"We'll see. Just make sure you don't drop that nice hat of yours." Both of them locked and loaded their weapons and stared at the oncoming militants. "The name's Hikki, by the way."

"Hikki… I'll be damned if this isn't the same Hikki of NITE Global Security," Price said.

"I'm guessing you've heard a lot about me, then," the young man said.

"Enough to impress the SAS, if that's what you mean," Price answered.

"I wish I could join them, but you know me. Someone who's not taking order from anyone." He fixed his fingerless gloves and took aim at the militias. "Ready?"

"Ready when you are, kid," Price replied and pointed his assault rifle at the militias.

"Let's do this."

-x-x-x-x-

She frowned.

Tomoe Mami wished she could remember, but her memory was as hazy as anyone could imagine. The car accident that took place six years ago was said to be the kind of accident no one could survive, and she knew from the account of the hospital crews that her chance of living was less than 0.1 percent. And yet she somehow managed to survive - and heal in record-breaking time, on top of that – a medical miracle that baffled even the most trained experts. The only thing she could recall clearly was that there was a boyish voice yelling at her when she was cramped inside the wrecked car, asking her not to give up-

"_Hang in there, miss! I got you! Someone call the ambulance, pronto! Shit! Don't die on me!"_

"No, it was not a boy. It was clearly a man; a young man, at that," she dismissed.

And then there was this: a strange card was given to her by the owner of the voice shortly after she was hospitalized. He disappeared soon afterwards, and she never got to learn his name (nor the purpose of the card). She sighed; someday, she would find her saviour and personally thanked him for bringing her from the brink of dying.

Right now, though, she had to be content over getting caught in the middle of a heated argument between two groups of fan-boys. And it was the kind of argument one would easily relate to. _Way too easily._

"Do you dare insult big boobs?!" the group to her right asked.

"You speak of nonsense! Girls with flat chest are as pure as the gems of diamond from Mother Earth! They are the greatest of fetishes!" the group at her left side replied with utmost passion.

"Never! Big boobs for life!" the 'big breasts supporters' shouted.

"Flat chest forever!" the 'legions of flat chest' replied.

Mami shrugged and left the two groups behind, who had started throwing insults and bricks at each other before they were conveniently Fin-Funnelled out of existence by a passing-by Hi-Nu Gundam ("This Gundam is not just for show!" Amuro Ray announced). As she walked past a convenient store, she oversaw the news of Russian invasion on America and couldn't help shaking her head in disbelief. Why in the name of her father (and her father's father, and the father to her father's father) would Soviet Union declare war on the United States of America when it was clear that they were allies?

"That's politic for you," Homura said as she and Sayaka suddenly appeared behind her. "One minute they'd offer you peace, and one other minute they'd suddenly stab you right in the back."

"Hello, Homura, Sayaka! Didn't see you coming," Mami said.

"We're going to the new café – Satellite umm… what was its name again, Homura?" Sayaka asked.

"Satellite Ice Café," Homura answered.

"Right, Satellite Ice Café! Wanna join?" Sayaka asked.

"Yes, sure! That would be nice…" Mami trailed off as she glanced at the Hi-Nu Gundam curb-stomping the rabid fan boys. "As long as we can get out of this madness."

"Madness!? THIS! IS! SPARTA!" Leonidas shouted as he and his legion of 300 Spartan warriors appeared out of nowhere and joined Amuro in the curb-stomping.

"We're living in an interesting world, after all," Homura said. "Anyway, we better hurry. Madoka and everyone else are already awaiting us."

"Come, let's not waste anymore time," Mami said.

With that agreed upon the three girls left the scene of insanity and headed to the new café, unaware that something even greater than the Ruso-American War was about to unfold before them. It was such event that would alter their life and forever change their opinion about their purpose of life.

-x-x-x-x-

"_Whistlers are supposed to protect, and that is the reason behind our existence. Even so, there are times and places where we are denied of this role we consider sacred. We alone do not have a say of shaping humanity's destiny, for their destiny is their own responsibility." _


	17. Butterfly of Death and Rebirth 01

**[[Six years ago…]]**

She was dying.

Tomoe Mami, an ordinary high school student, lay upon a pool of blood, inside the smashed passenger compartment of the sedan.

The details escaped her, but what she knew was that her father was driving down the highway when a cat suddenly crossed the road. In his effort to avoid hitting the cat he lost control of the wheel, and the car hit dividing rail, flipped to the other side of the highway and cart-wheeled for many metres before crashed onto an oncoming truck. Her parents were instantly killed, while she was mortally wounded at the back seat.

It would not be long before she joined them in the afterlife, living together as a family.

And yet…

"…I don't want to die… not today… please… anyone…"

A slight noise caught her attention, the kind of which a small animal would make in haste. She struggled to open her eyes, and…

…_it was the same cat her father tried to avoid._

Did it come to carry her soul to the afterlife? She had heard of many accounts about how cats can sense someone's demise and carry said soul to the world beyond the naked eye. Maybe, but she did not care. She resisted no more. If this was the end of her road, so be it. She would gladly accept her destiny with open arms.

[Do you want to live?]

Wait. Live? Oh, no. Now she regretted her desire to die. No, not this time! There's so many things she wanted to do, things that she never had the chance to accomplish and complete.

[I say this just this once: do you want to live, Tomoe Mami?]

Her throat was agonizingly bitter, but she managed to mutter a "…yes." Tears flowed down her closed eyelids. She was desperate. "…yes, I want to live…"

[I see. Very well. Make a contract with me, and you shall have another chance to live.]

A contract…?

[Besides, if you sign the contract, you get to become a hero. Warrior of love, defender of peace, protector of justice, the dark knight of the sleepless city. Imagine the endless possibilities. But I suggest that you become either magical girl or Kamen Rider, because everybody digs magical girl and Kamen Rider these days.]

An opportunity to live a second life and become a hero? How tempting. Yet she could not help asking: is this a miracle, to survive this calamity, to finally be saved?

"_I don't think that's possible in this universe, Incubator."_

Huh? Incubator? Slowly she opened her eyes. The cat was still there, but… there was something very peculiar about it. Bushy tail, like that of a fox. Two normal cat ears and two elongated and floppy ears sticking out of the normal ears. Three pink tips and golden rings halfway down the floppy ears' length. Beady pink eyes with maroon irises.

What in the world…?

[I never expect to meet the manipulator of boundaries under this circumstance. Do you have a business with this client of mine?]

She blinked. She was very certain the cat-thing did not move its mouth, but she could for some reason whatsoever hear its voice inside her head.

"Just wanted to tell you that this girl is incompatible with your contract. Go find someone else; it will save you lots of time."

This mysterious woman glared at the cat-thing. She was tall, maybe taller than her mother. She wore an elaborate Victorian gown in purple colouring, and had a white cap with matching red ribbon on her head. Frills, lots of frills, enough frills to topple the queen of frills. Her left hand held a paper fan with butterfly motifs on it, and her right hand toted a sturdy-looking parasol. Her mere presence would demand respect and fear from all eyes who dared to gaze upon her.

_And she called the cat-thing Incubator._

[Not compatible? I do not understand. Our purpose is to seek for the preservation of this universe and to protect it from entropy. Are you not aware of this fact?]

"Entropy? What entropy?" She opened the butterfly-themed fan and put it over her face, perhaps to hide a grin? She could not tell. "Besides, nobody dies under my watch, and definitely not under his."

[Such thing is impossible. People die when they are killed. Forests die when they're set on fire. Dinosaurs perished when meteor smashed into Earth. Mammoths became extinct due to global warming.]

"People die when they're killed? Oh, no, you just had to quote that! How amusing of you!" she laughed behind the fan. "Yes, yes. Death is inevitable. It is a part of the cycle. You can't avoid it, I can't avoid, and she certainly can't avoid it. It's just when Death comes and how It treats us that none of us can anticipate."

The mysterious lady brought her hand forward, and the air in front of it bulged before it cracked open. Her stomach churned at the sight of the abomination that was materializing before her, and she felt she wanted to puke when the woman brought her gloved hand into the abomination.

"Your goal is understandable, Incubator, but using all means to justify it?" the woman asked. "Sacrifice one to save many? Let a few perish in order to protect other's survival?"

[It is only the most logical solution to solve a problem,] Incubator agreed.

"Maybe, but too bad, I've been doing that for centuries, maybe millenniums." She stopped fiddling with the abomination and brought her hand out of it, along with an item. Both Incubator and Mami tilted their head in curiosity over the object the woman brought out of the gap.

It was a Tarot card.

"I'm not going to lie to you," the woman spoke as she tossed the card to Incubator. "I'm a youkai, and a youkai is not supposed to meddle with a human's life, nor determine a human's fate. I've seen enough death and destruction in my lifetime that I grow tired of it." Her smile was bitter and full of self-disgust. "But I made a promise to my friends, one of whom was the dearest, perhaps the kindest one I've ever had – maybe the only friend I'll ever have in this realm. I will keep the promise, and I will do so, even though that means I have to wash my hand with your blood."

Incubator did not reply.

"Hmm, I suppose that's the closest thing to fear your kind can recognize. See you on the other side of Higan, Kyubey." The woman snapped her fingers, and in an instant the Tarot card dissolved into butterflies, which immediately engulfed Incubator in an eldritch dance. Incubator squirmed and twisted, its face remains emotionless throughout its apparent agony as the butterflies slowly sucked its soul out of its husk. Finally the butterflies flew away, leaving behind an empty shell of the creature. The sight alone would make her go mad from the revelation, and yet she was strangely grateful for that.

"The butterfly of death and rebirth. The eternal symbol of the circle of life," the woman spoke as one of the butterflies perched upon her hand. She let the butterfly go and knelt beside Mami. So close, she could see the strains of age and worry upon her otherwise beautiful face. "Don't worry, Mami dear. Help is on the way."

She weakly swallowed to clear her clogged throat. Her tongue licked at her trembling lips. "Who are you…?" she moaned.

"My name is Yukari." Gently he rested her hand upon her bleeding forehead. It felt warm upon her skin. "And I'm here to ensure nobody tampers with your destiny in this world of heart and melting blood." She smiled; a gentle, yet sad smile_. "But now I must go. Take care of him for me, alright?"_

And then chaos started unfolding around her. She blinked; the woman was gone, and so too was Incubator. All she could hear was car alarms setting off, people shouting at each other and… _gunfire_. Slowly she careened her head to the direction of the voice. She spotted three persons in full military gear exchanging gunfire not far from the crash scene. What was going on?

"Has anyone of you ever heard the phrase_ 'a brotherhood forged under fire lasts for eternity'_? Well, it's happening right now!"

"We're in the middle of a dire crisis, and you still have time for your philosophical nonsense?"

"But it's true! Isn't that right, Chief?"

"I didn't come all the way to Japan to have my ass handed over. Where's backup?"

"I don't know, Chief. Guess we're the only ones available to deal with those militants."

"Whatever. Jacques, Evan, cover me. We're taking cover behind the armoured truck. After we're done with this, I'm filing a complaint to the minister of defence. What are we, the expendables? We have lives, too."

"Yeah, who would've thought a simple escort mission would turn to this?"

The gunfight intensified. The trio made their way to the wreck and took cover behind the twisted metal. One of them approached the car and peered into the passenger compartment. "Chief! We have people inside the car!"

The 'Chief' – a boy? – appeared next to him and placed his gloved hand upon her forehead. "This doesn't look good. Hang in there, miss! We'll get you out of here! Jacques, Evan, suppressive fire!" She just watched, as 'Chief' tried to pull her out of the car, as his emerald eyes were burning vigorously, almost telling her she would be brought out of this misery.

She coughed. She wheezed. Her lungs collapsed. The situation was taking its toll on what was left of her strength. She needed to hang on! Please, please let her be saved, if only for a few more minutes…!

"Damn it, we're losing her! Evan, call the ambulance pronto!"

"Ambulance is on the way, Chief!"

"Chief! They're closing in! We're outnumbered!"

Her vision became blurry. Her hearing was weakening. Her body was slowly giving in.

She was losing the battle.

"Shit! Don't die on me!"

…_is this the end…?_

-x-x-x-x-

**[[The Present Time]]**

It had been a prosper year for seventeen-year-old Tomoe Mami. Not only was she became the topmost student in the Amanogawa High School (in only a span of year since she transferred from Mitakihara Middle School), she was also the unofficial ambassador for the school's self-proclaimed Kamen Rider Club. It was not exactly the position she dreamed off, since all she wanted was a quiet life, but she did enjoy the company of her new friends, especially Kisaragi Gentarou who often stole her precious tea time and told her the story of Kamen Riders from all known universes blessing one Kamen Rider Hibachi with the mother of all Rider Kicks (**"ULTIMATE RIDER BREAK!"** Gentarou bellowed the name out loud), the kind of finishing move that could destroy and recreate a world over and over.

Of course, she was interested in living the life of a superhero and going out to save the innocents and vanquish evil, all in the name of peace and justice. She even imagined herself in the shoes of Kamen Rider, wiping the floor with the monsters of the week's face and saving people from evil. Yet she knew such lifestyle would be very unfitting for a tea-loving ordinary schoolgirl, so she was satisfied in becoming an avid fan of superheroes.

"_In the world of heart and melting blood, peace is a very expensive prize to hunt for; a possession men and women are willing to die for. So illusive people are asking whether it exists in the first place." _

It so happened that the Soviet Union unceremoniously declared war on the United States of America and invaded the Eastern Sea Board, and not only the news brought fear of an invasion by the Red Army but also the notion that the world was coming to an end. ("It's not the end of the world, yet! As long as friendship exists, so shall this world!" Gentarou boasted.) This alone assured her that she would be able to live her life anyway she could.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with living a peaceful life, right?

Only time will tell…

-x-x-x-x-

**HEART OF MELTING BLOOD  
A NEW CHRONICLE**

**CHAPTER 16  
BUTTERFLY OF DEATH AND REBIRTH  
STAGE 01 ~ THE WHEEL IS TURNING**

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Hanasaka Shrine.  
**Date**: present day.

He woke up in a jolt. That was surely a strange dream, albeit a heartfelt one. He could not fathom the reason why he was being shown the scene of Yukari kneeling under a cherry blossom tree, cradling a dying woman in her arm. He also could not understand why the same scene repeated itself, but with Yukari holding a different woman, whose body was riddled with spears and swords. He realized Yukari was crying in both scenes, and he knew she wasn't the kind of woman who would easily shed tears.

And then he had another dream. Not of Yukari, but of a girl. A girl who was desperately pleading to be saved, and that he was trying to reach for her outstretched arm. A girl, whose golden yellow eyes were staring right at his, pleading to save her soul from being consumed by an unknown entity; a recurring dream, which he had for six years, ever since he and his team saved the poor girl from the car wreck while defending the armoured truck from armed robbers.

"_You've got to be taking a piss! We were attacked by [REDTAPED] terrorists and you were telling me that they were just armed robbers!? Are you on crack overdose or what?!"_

He chortled; that was a good time, yelling at the Japanese minister of defence so hard the latter's face almost had a brown note in his pants. It felt good to vent off all his frustrations at the bureaucrat, even though his team didn't get paid and got kicked out of the ministry complex.

"Oniichan?"

He turned his attention to his dearest sister, who had just returned from the palace. "Yes, Yuu? What is it?"

She smiled and sat near the futon he was lying on. "Did something happen?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just having weird dreams, that's all," he told her.

"You look very tired. It must be tough to be in your shoes, isn't it?" she asked. "I know! I'll ask Tomoyo-san and Kaguya-san to get you a job at the palace! That way you don't have to go anywhere else again!"

He shrugged. "Yuu, come over here."

Slowly the shrine maiden moved closer to him, and as she did he hauled his arms about her, pulling her into an embrace. The girl let out a pleasant sigh and giggled as he softly kissed her forehead. "I like you, Oniichan…" she whispered happily.

"I know you do, Yuu," he muttered. The shrine maiden fell asleep upon him, and he too was feeling sleepy. The strains of working overseas were getting onto him, and he wished he could find a proper job instead of having to leave Japan and Yuu behind just to make a few dimes for a living. The prospect of living closer to home and having a more sustainable income were irresistible, but he knew the transition from the life of a bounty hunter to an ordinary civilian would not be easy. After living a life with so many bullets with his name aimed at his head, who could blame him for that?

A sudden buzz startled both of them. They separated when an unknown entity appeared between them, hissing threateningly at Hikki. "What is this?" he inquired as he identified the entity as a butterfly of mechanical kind.

"Don't you know, Oniichan? This is Evaccania!" Yuu answered excitedly.

"Evaccania?" He brought his hand forward as to touch the mechanical butterfly, but pulled away when it responded with another hiss. "Where on Earth did you get this?"

"Aunt Yukari visited me last week and gave me this," Yuu answered. She gently petted the mechanical butterfly, calming it down as a result. "There, there. Don't be afraid. Oniichan just wants to be your friend."

Evaccania? Butterfly? Oh, that's right. Hanasaka Shrine was established as a dedication to the beautiful yet fragile butterfly, the symbol of death and rebirth, the representative of the wheel of reincarnation. Just like Yuyuko.

_Just like Yuyuko._

Suddenly his heart sank. He missed his dearest mother and her gentleness. He knew, back in Hakugyokurou she would bemoan his absence and complain to her swordswoman-servant how she missed squeezing and kissing and smooching and snuggling him like a living teddy bear. He understood better; after all, she was the only woman who would treat him kindly when the rest of the world gazed strangely upon him.

"We should invite them over," he absentmindedly uttered.

Yuu looked up at him. "Who are you talking about, Oniichan?"

"Oh, none. No one at all, Yuu." Gently he patted his sister, causing her to purr affectionately. "Like a kitty cat," he quipped.

"No, Oniichan. I'm Catwoman, meow!" she growled cutely.

* * *

Somewhere in Gotham City, the original Catwoman (pardon this author for forgetting her human alter-ego's name) was stalking upon a war fought between two gangs over peanut butter and jelly when she sneezed. "Bless you," Batman told her.

"I should've taken the anti-Lone Wolf Effect medicine yesterday," Catwoman complained.

* * *

If he was a shameless Siscon, he would have drowned in a massive fountain of blood and declared himself "the luckiest son-of-a-gun the world has ever seen" but he would not let himself stoop that low. "Yeah, yeah, you're Catwoman. What am I?"

"Of course, Oniichan! You're Batman!" Yuu announced.

* * *

This time, it was Batman's turn to sneeze. "Et tu…" Catwoman glared at him. "Where did you get the prescription again?" he asked.

"You're useless," Catwoman sighed.

-x-x-x-x-

**Location**: Hanasaka Shrine.  
**Date**: present day, the following morning.

"Things have gone from bad to worse, haven't they?"

"_At least they didn't invade the west coast. Yet."_

"I reckon the agency's got an urgent task for me. What's the situation?"

"_The Russians have taken over all means of communications, so we're unable to contact our agents worldwide. We're able contact you only because your ID's on other secure channel."_

"Sucks to be there, I bet."

"_I know! God, how I wish I had never taken this job in the first place."_

"Hang in there, Reina. I know you can get through this."

"_Thanks for the moral support, Hikki."_

"Speaking of which… do you have any idea what happened to your uncle?"

"_From what I can gather, he's being held captive in Siberia's gulag. General Shepherd has already arranged for a rescue mission, but with the war raging… who knows what's going on inside his mind. Why do you ask? You want to conduct a rescue mission on your own?"_

"I wish, but that would be stealing the spotlight."

"_That's right. The SAS once invited you to enter the Selection, but you declined."_

"Yeah, I'd rather work on my own. I don't mind joining force with them, though, as long as I'm allowed to use my own set of rule."

"_Maybe I can inform Mister Macmillan about this. After all, he's your former mentor, isn't he?"_

"That would be nice. Hey, got to go now."

"_Alright. Please take care of yourself, Hikki."_

"Likewise."

The phone conversation ended. He found himself alone in the shrine. Yuu had gone to the imperial court for sharing her newest fashion idea with Tomoyo, and the Sealing Club could not visit the shrine due to their unspoken commitment with the university. Suddenly he felt miserably on his own. Not that he appreciated the privacy, but sometimes a person needs someone to talk to, even if it's just friendly chatters about weaponry.

He shook his head; that's not what he wanted! All he wanted was to live normally like all young men, to visit local bar and chat with the ladies, maybe finding a wife, getting married, making lots of sweet, sweet love-

"_Be careful what you wish for, kid."_

Acting on impulse, he withdrew his Five-Seven and took aim at the door. Years of training with the world's Special Forces had taught him not to let his guard down even for a split second. And it showed when he assumed the infamous CQC stance and approached the door…

No one! There was no one there! He scanned the area for potential intruder, yet found nothing. Nothing, but birds chirping cheerily upon nearby tree and tumbleweed rolling out of nowhere, and certainly out of context. "Well, that was weird," he commented.

And that was when his attention had a momentary lapse.

A karate chop on his wrist, and an arm-bar over his neck, and he was subdued in less than a second. "Geh! To overpower me this quick…" he groaned and countered the move with one of his own. "There's only one person in the whole world who understands the true secret of CQC."

"Heh, you got that right, kid." The perpetrator elbowed him on the rib, slipped out of the sleeper's hold and assumed an identical CQC stance. He smiled - a genuine smile of an old veteran who has seen all in the battlefield. "It's been a while, Hikki Kokurabuji. How are you doing?"

"Goddamn it, Snake!" he shouted at the old man, not of anger but of joy. "It's been three years! Where the hell have you been?"

They exchanged brotherly knuckles and hugs. "Ah, just the usual," Old Snake answered gruffly. "Happened to be in this city while en route to Okinawa, so I decided to visit my old apprentice." He did a right hook, which was promptly parried by Hikki. "You've improved a lot, kid. I knew taking you in as an apprentice wasn't a bad idea."

Later, the former master-apprentice duo had a peaceful tea time and shared pep talks about their latest adventures (or misadventures, as a certain image-board may attest). Hikki was unable to keep his cool in the face of the legendary operative, excitedly telling him many stories about his worldwide travel, and Old Snake, being Old Snake, did what a good father figure would do and listen to his student's rambling, even though some of them were bordering on the nonsense.

"So, did Raiden finally kick his butt for good?" Hikki asked as he refilled Old Snake's empty teacup.

"Being Raiden, he did more than just kicking his butt and wiping the floor with it," Old Snake said. "You certainly didn't want to get in his way once he got himself all geared up."

"Ah, what a joy. Wish I was there to witness all the glory," Hikki quipped.

"Likewise, kid. So, you're still a bounty hunter after all these years? I can't imagine someone like you not planning to raise a family," Old Snake said. Hikki suddenly turned sour and put down his teacup. "What's wrong? Did I ask the wrong question?"

"Oh, it's but a touchy issue to mention," Hikki dismissed. "Yes, Snake, someone at my age ought to have a family already, but you know me. Always too busy making money for a living to find even a suitable wife. If you've got a list, I'm all ears."

"Then what about Yuu? Surely living with her for so many years has "softened" your opinion on her, yes?" Old Snake asked.

"Snake! For God's sake, what the hell!" Hikki protested. If the bright tomato colour on his face wasn't an indication that he was in pure embarrassment, nothing would. "No way I want to do this and that to her! Well, yeah, sure, we're not really _brother and sister,_ but that still doesn't change the fact that she's my little sister!"

Old Snake laughed. "Ah, I was just asking. No need to worry about it," he dismissed.

Hikki pouted. "Jeez, Snake, of all questions you could've asked…" he grumbled.

After a couple more teacups (and a few CQC techniques to be shared), Old Snake excused himself and took his leave. "I have an unfinished business with Okinawa's wild crabs," he told Hikki when asked why he wouldn't prolong his stay.

"Don't you mean "giant enemy crabs," Snake?" Hikki joked. The 'old snake' merely laughed and waved goodbye to him. He just watched as his former mentor walked down the road less travelled and slowly faded from view. "Alright, then! Let's go out for a walk!" he declared.

-x-x-x-x-x

"Bye-bye, Mami-san!"

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Thanks, Gentarou-san, Yuuki-chan!"

It had been a lively day with Kamen Rider Club. Today she learned new things about the seven legendary Riders, and she was especially attracted to the story of the late Shigeru Jo – Kamen Rider Stronger. She even found herself singing the theme song 'Kamen Rider Stronger no Uta' despite never listening to it for her entire life, and she absolutely loved every piece of it. Yet it was the tragic story of Misaki Yuriko a.k.a. Electrowave Human Tackle that made her weep during club meeting (so much that Gentarou and Yuki actually postponed the meeting out of concern for her).

How she was aspired to be like Tackle…

Whatever she thought about Kamen Riders, all she wanted to do after this was to get home and have a cup of tea along with scones. With that in mind, she hopped and skipped along the road, sang the theme of Kamen Rider Stronger to her heart's content…

…and ran into an individual at the crossroad.

"Ah, watch out!"

Both of them collided, fell onto their bottom, and dropped their belongings on the pavement.

"Oh, I should watch the road ahead of me," Mami moaned. She looked up front and saw that the individual had already stood up, and was extending his hand toward her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Uhh… y-yes! I'm fine!" Mami answered.

"Jeez, you should be careful. Good thing it was a person you ran into. What if it was a truck? Or a thief? Or even a stalker?" He picked her belongings and gave them to her. "Here, you shouldn't lose them."

"Oh, umm… I'm sorry! I'll be careful next time," Mami said, sighing in relief after knowing none of the essential items were missing. "Thank you, et tu… mister?"

"Huh? My name?" he asked back. "I'm just a stranger passing by, no need to learn of it."

"Please. It would be rude to not tell a young lady, would it?" Mami said.

"Fine, if you so desire." He offered her a handshake. "The name's Hikki. It's an honour to meet you."

"I'm Tomoe Mami, a student at Amanogawa High School. It's also a pleasure, Hikki-san." As she returned the handshake, she inadvertently stared at his eyes. For a moment, she was mesmerized by the strikingly vibrant irises, whose colour seemed to shift between bright emerald and ocean blue at certain angle and degree. Those eyes were so clear, so pure, she felt as if she was staring deep into his soul…

…and yet why did she feel sad?

"Is there something wrong with my eyes, Miss Tomoe?"

And then it fell upon her.

_He shared the same eye colour as the mysterious 'Chief'._

"Hello? Hello, Miss Tomoe? Are you there? I think the line's busy."

_Somewhere, somehow, the wheel of destiny began to spin…_

-x-x-x-x

**[[Disclaimer]]**

This chapter contains the violation of canon and common sense, as well as extensive abuse of retcon and alternate timelines. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. Also, please take note that Puella Madoka Magica, Touhou Project, Ketsui and Metal Gear Solid are the properties of Gen Urobuchi, Team Shanghai Alice, CAVE and KONAMI.

In this universe, Mami no longer studies at Mitakihara Middle School, but a transfer student at Amanogawa High School. Yes, she's not a Puella Magi (though that may change soon). Yes, it's for the sake of consistency with Kamen Rider Fourze. Yes, it will cause major headache in the inter-dimensional bureau. Yes, blame it on Yukari and Decade, as usual.

"Onore, Yukarin!" the dismayed fans bellowed.

"Onore, Dikeido!" Narutaki screamed.

By the way, this chapter is a dedication to this author's dearest friend Sheo Darren. His latest update has inspired this author to kick start this story.

-x-x-x-x-

**[[This Omake is brought to you by The Zaniness That Is This Author's Mind]]**

There stood a man in white gi and imposing afro, folding his arms victoriously while standing atop a mountain made of bodies of unconscious combatants, fighters, war deities and super robots alike. Did this author just mention 'super robot'? Yes, he did, because even in the face of the strongest mechas in existence, this man knows no fear and will take on anything and everything that dares defying his sacred teaching.

Well, except for Kamen Riders, because both he and Kamen Riders are 'Bros Forever'.

His signature battle theme was also echoing in the background, further boasting his status as the undisputed God of Over-The-Top Advertisement. As he was scanning the landscape, he took a deep breath, and then…

…with the loudest, most boisterous voice, he shouted the battle cry that made him famous in the first place. All while he took out an iconic gaming console and brought to view.

"**Sega Saturn… SHIRO!"**

"Hey, Homu-Homu, let's buy Sega Saturn!" an excited Madoka said.

"Why would you?" Homura asked.

"So that we can play until our fingers break!" Madoka answered.

"And why would you-" A gentle tap on her shoulder prompted Homura to look behind her. "I'm kind of busy. Can't you- ah, it's Segata Sanshiro!"

Before she (or even Madoka) could react she was already grabbed on the shirt, slammed onto the floor and choked into submission. Thankfully, the avatar of Sega let go off her before she submitted, only this time he turned his attention to Madoka, and with the most intimidating gaze that would shatter even the hardiest of heart, gave her a brand-new Sega Saturn.

"…thank you, Segata Sanshiro…" Madoka meekly muttered.

Segata nodded and turned around, repeating the battle cry that shall be remembered through the eternity.

"**Sega Saturn… SHIRO!"**

_Needless to say, many manly tears were shed on that day._

-x-x-x-x-

"A valuable lesson to all of us out there," reminded Yakumo Yukari while taking a sip of Darjeeling tea. "Never question the value of Sega Saturn when Segata Sanshiro is behind you, or he'll judo-throw you and snap your limbs. Even if you happen to be a Puella Magi."

"Not even a contract will distract him?" Kyubey asked.

"Not even a contract will distract him," Yukari answered. "He'll teach you the way of Sega Saturn, one way or another, whether you're with him or against him. Just accept it wholeheartedly, and all is well."

"I do not understand."

_And then Kyubey became Kyubeyko. _

Yukari turned her attention to the abomination that is the Fourth Wall. With an ominous smile, she waved her paper fan, causing it to slightly tremble. "Well, then. Shall we wait warmly for the next update?"

-x-x-x-x-

**On the next chapter of Heart of Melting Blood…**

"_Butterflies… lots and lots of butterflies…"_

"_I just want to live a normal life… and you guys are denying me of even that?!"_

"_You can't escape your destiny, Tomoe Mami. Sign this contract with me and become whatever your heart desires!"_

"_This is all the whistler can offer? What a pity."_

"_You're the one who protects. The tamer of wild wind. The calm before the storm. You are…"_

**Open your eyes for the next heart!**


End file.
